Skip to main content

Full text of "The history of Wyoming from the earliest known discoveries"

See other formats 


M.L. 

Gc 

978.7 
C83h 
1478510 


GENEALOGY  COLLECTION 


ALLEN  COUNTY  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


3  1833  01104  5801 


THE   AUTHOR. 


"\ 


(yS^«^<^    <7'(^.,ta^^^ 


THE 


History  of  Wyoming^ 


FROM  THE  EARLIEST  KNOWN  DISCOVERIES. 


IN  THREE  VOLUMES. 


C.  G.  COUTANT. 


VOLUME  I.  . 


Laramie,  Wyoming: 
Chaplin.  Spafford  &  Mathison,  Printers. 


fUa.^j  ^^e  Uff'i  %' 


To  the  memory  of  those  pioneers,  living- 
and  dead,  who  explored  our  mountains 
and  valleys  regardless  of  the  dangers 
which  beset  them  on  every  hand  and  who 
finally  conquered  the  wilderness  and 
made  it  possible  to  organize  here  a  com- 
monwealth, these  pages  are  reverently 
dedicated. 

THE  A  UTHOR. 


Copyrisht,  1899,  by  C.  G.  Coutant. 


1478510 

PREFACE. 


In  the  preparation  of  this  work  I  have  endeavored  to 
trace  the  early  explorers  who  came  to  Wyoming.  It  will 
be  observed  that,  with  a  single  exception,  every  account 
given  is  based  upon  authentic  history;  the  exception  being 
the  chapter  devoted  to  ''Spanish  Occupation."  While  it 
must  be  admitted  that  these  traditions  are  reasonable  and 
interesting,  I  have  deemed  it  better  to  utilize  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  Spanish  claims.  It  would  have  been  possible 
to  have  gone  back  to  1591  and  traced  the  expedition  of  Don 
Juan  de  Onate  from  Mexico  through  Colorado  and  the  north- 
west. It  is  believed  that  he  explored  the  South  and  North 
Platte  and  if  he  did  he  must  have  reached  Wyoming.  While 
interesting  speculations  might  be  indulged  in  regarding 
numerous  Spanish  expeditions  to  the  north,  I  have  refrained 
from  this  for  the  reason  that  these  are  tradition  and  not 
history.  The  more  modern  explorations  and  occupations 
are  quite  as  interesting  as  those  of  the  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth centuries.  The  searcher  after  facts  will  find  many 
surprises  in  regard  to  the  early  occupation  of  this  country 
by  white  men.  When  Robert  Stuart  passed  down  the  Sweet- 
water and  North  Platte  in  1812-13,  he  met  Doruin  and  Roi, 
two  white  traders,  not  far  below  Grand  Island  on  the  Platte 
River.  At  that  early  date  there  were  many  white  trappere 
in  this  part  of  the  west.  John  B.  Sarpey,  his  brother  Peter 
A.  Sarpey,  Godfrey  Gerry  and  Elbridge  Gerry,  two  brothers, 
came  during  the  twenties  and  remained  permanently.  The 
Gerrys  were  grandsons  of  Elbridge  Gerry,  one  of  the  sign- 
ers of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  I  have  every  reason 
to  believe  that  Manuel  Lisa's  trappers  also  visited  eastern 


iv  Preface. 

Wyoming  as  early  as  1809.  The  Chouteau  brothers  of  St. 
Louis  sent  their  men  into  this  part  of  the  west  at  an  early 
date,  that  is  previous  to  1815.  Just  what  time  they  reached 
the  upper  waters  of  the  Platte,  it  is  impossible  to  say  with 
any  degree  of  certainty.  Desiring  to  confine  this  work  to 
matters  of  known  record,  I  have  carefully  avoided  entering 
the  realm  of  tradition. 

The  fur  trading  period  forms  a  distinct  epoch  in  the 
history  of  Wyoming.  The  prosecution  of  this  business,  to 
a  large  extent,  changed  the  conditions  of  the  Indians,  the 
white  men  and  the  country.  Few  of  the  great  leaders  in 
the  fur  trade  cared  to  interest  themselves  in  explorations. 
Previous  to  1832  only  General  W.  H.  Ashley,  of  all  the  fur 
traders  and  trappers,  took  an  interest  in  exploring  the  coun- 
try. Following  this  renowned  leader,  came  the  first  official 
explorer,  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  Much  care  has  been 
taken  to  point  out  the  official  character  of  this,  the  first  ex- 
pedition to  enter  Wyoming  under  instructions  of  the  gov- 
ernment. Irving's  charming  story  of  Captain  Bonneville, 
to  some  extent,  was  regarded  as  a  romance  at  the  time  of  its 
publication,  but  I  hope  I  have  succeeded  in  showing  that 
the  expedition  was  intended  to  accomplish  a  scientific  and 
usefnl  purpose.  Because  of  the  official  character  of  Captain 
Bonneville,  I  have  made  copious  extracts  from  his  report 
and  it  must  be  admitted  that  his  investigations  in  this  coun- 
try form  a  reliable  part  of  our  early  history.  Fremont  came 
ten  years  later  and  the  scientific  nature  of  his  work  in  this 
section,  as  well  as  its  high  official  character  and  importance, 
has  demanded  at  my  hands  no  less  space  than  is  accorded  it. 

Great  pains  have  been  taken  to  search  out  all  that  re- 
lates to  the  Overland  trail,  including  the  depredations  com- 
mitted by  Indians  along  this  famous  highway,  the  Oregon, 
Mormon  and  California  emigration,  the  establishing  of  the 
mail  line  across  the  mountains,  the  starting  of  the  Pony  Ex- 
press, the  building  of  the  telegraph  line  and  all  the  incidents 
of  a  public  nature  which  contribute  to  the  history  of  the 
times.    The  Indian  wars  which  followed  are  covered  by  ofll- 


Preface.  v 

cial  reports,  which  have  been  used  and  which  form  the  basis 
of  the  history  of  all  military  operations  connected  with  the 
protection  of  emigrants. 

I  make  no  claim  that  this  history  is  entirely  free  from 
error,  but  I  will  assure  the  reader  that  every  precaution  has 
been  taken  in  its  preparation,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  dates, 
incidents  and  circumstances  have  been  secured  from  official 
reports  and  from  other  reliable  sources. 

The  illustrations  in  this  volume,  for  the  most  part,  have 
intrinsic  value,  and  some  of  them  have  been  secured  with 
difficulty.  The  portrait  of  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville  was 
kindly  furnished  me  by  the  Hon.  N.  P.  Langford.  That  of 
Father  De  Smet  was  secured  through  the  kindness  of  Bish- 
op Lenihan.  T.  Jeff  Carr  presented  the  portrait  of  General 
Connor.  These  are  rare  portraits  and  difficult  to  obtain  at 
this  late  day.  Most  of  the  illustrations  along  the  Overland 
trail  are  by  the  Wyoming  artist,  M.  D.  Houghton,  who  pro- 
duced them  after  much  study  and  investigation.  They  are 
not  mere  ideal  drawings,  but  were  made  with  the  assistance 
of  pioneers  who  took  the  trouble  to  visit,  with  the  artist, 
the  locality,  and  explain  the  forts,  buildings,  bridges,  etc. 
These  drawings  have  stood  the  test  of  critical  examinations 
on  the  part  of  many  old  timers  who  were  familiar  with  the 
appearance  of  everything  along  the  Overland  road  in  the 
old  days. 

This  work  will  be  completed  in  three  volumes,  each  of 
which  will  have  a  table  of  contents,  and  the  last  book  will 
contain  a  full  index  covering  the  subjects  treated  upon  in  the 
three  volumes  and  these  subjects  will  be  subdivided  and  in- 
dexed for  the  convenience  of  those  in  search  of  information. 
The  index  will  also  give  names,  battles,  incidents  and  all 
matter  connected  with  the  history  of  the  State,  so  that  the 
reader  will  be  enabled  to  find,  without  delay,  any  subject, 
incident  or  name  mentioned  in  the  work. 

I  owe  it  to  myself  to  say  that  the  undertaking  has  grown 
on  my  hands  and  has  become  of  greater  magnitude  than  was 
contemplated.    Other  states  have  histories  that  simply  re- 


vi  Preface. 

late  to  events  which  are  a  part  only  of  their  occupation  and 
settlement;  while  Wyoming  was  the  highway  where  con- 
verged all  roads  leading  across  the  plains  to  the  territories 
beyond.  This  made  our  State  the  theater  of  bloody  wars  from 
the  time  of  the  discovery  of  South  Pass,  for  more  than  seventy 
years.  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  Colorado  each  have  histories 
filled  with  thrilling  tales  of  the  border;  while  our  State  had 
to  bear  the  concentrated  warfare  engendered  in  the  territo- 
ries named.  Our  mountain  passes  afforded  opportunity  for 
ambush  suited  to  the  character  of  the  savage  tribes  who 
disputed  the  passage  of  white  men  through  the  country. 
This  holds  good  from  the  earliest  record  of  trappers  and 
traders,  down  through  the  emigrant  days,  the  building  of 
the  railroad,  and  only  ended  when  the  government  succeeded 
in  utterly  crushing  the  red  warriors.  This  volume  covers 
many  startling  situations  and  yet  the  happenings  of  the 
territorial  period,  which  are  told  in  the  second  volume,  are 
no  less  dramatic.  This  is  now  in  preparation  and  will  be 
completed  in  a  few  months.  It  opens  with  the  history  of  the 
founding  of  Cheyenne,  the  organization  of  Laramie  County, 
the  founding  of  Laramie  City,  the  organization  of  Albany 
and  other  counties,  together  with  the  commencement  of  the 
Territorial  Government.  These  events  were  intended  for  the 
first  volume,  but  a  proper  division  of  the  matter,  after  it  was 
prepared  forced  me  to  assign  these  subjects  to  the  second 
volume.  By  this  change  a  large  number  of  illustrations, 
which  go  with  the  matter  mentioned,  are  left  out  of  this  vol- 
ume, but  will  appear  in  the  next. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.                                   PAGE. 
Introductory  Remarks 17 

Grand  Possibilities — Mineral  Wealth — Backbone  of  the 
Continent — Fountain  Head  of  Mighty  Rivers — Boundary  of 
Wyoming — Names  of  Rivers  and  Mountains. 

CHAPTER  II. 
Spanish  Occupation 23 

The  Claims  of  the  Spaniards  Regarding  the  Northwest — 
What  Different  Writers  Say — Where  Did  the  White  Blood  of 
the  Mandans  Come  From? — Relics  of  Iron  Tools  Found  in 
Northern  Wyoming  and  Montana — Evidences  of  Mining  and 
Agriculture  Carried  on  Probably  in  the  Seventeenth  Cen- 
tury— The  Subject  Referred  to  Future  Historians. 

CHAPTER  III. 
French  Canadian  Explorations 33 

The  De  la  Verendryes  Lead  an  Expedition  from  Canada 
to  the  Headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  Across  to  the  Missouri 
into  the  Yellowstone  and  Wind  River  Countries — Turned 
Back  by  the  Shoshones,  Who  Persuade  the  Explorers  That 
They  Will  be  Killed  by  the  Sioux  at  South  Pass — Eleven 
Years  Spent  in  the  Wilderness — Return  to  Montreal — Second 
Expedition  Is  Prevented  by  the  Death  of  De  la  Verendrye 
— Unprincipled  Politicians  Rob  the  De  la  Verendrye  Family 
and  Get  Their  Hands  in  the  Coffers  of  the  King — Fur  Trade 
Under  English  Ownership  of  Canada— American  Revolution 
Leads  to  Great  Changes  in  the  Fur  Trade. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  First  American  Explorers 43 

History  of  Western  Course  of  Empire — Thomas  Jefferson 
Becomes  a  Leader  and  Finally  Succeeds  in  His  Cherished 
Scheme  of  Sending  Expeditions  up  the  Headwaters  of  the 
Missouri  to  Search  For  a  Gateway  Through  the  Rocky 
Mountains — The  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition— They  Winter 


viii  Contents. 

PAGE. 

at  the  Mandan  Village  on  the  Upper  Missouri  in  1804 — In  1805 
Spend  the  Winter  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia — Re- 
turn to  St.  Louis  in  1806. 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Famous  John  Colter 61 

The  First  American  to  Enter  Wyoming — A  Member  of 
the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition — Remains  in  the  Vicinity  of 
the  Yellowstone  From  1806  to  1810— He  Traps  Along  the  Big 
Horn,  Big  Wind  River,  and  Crosses  the  Range  to  the  Pacific 
Slope  in  1807— Returns  by  the  Way  of  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park,  of  Which  He  Was  the  Discoverer — His  Ad- 
venture With  the  Blackfeet— A  Race  for  Life— Relates  His 
Story  to  Captain  Clark,  Bradbury  and  Others. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Ezekiel  Williams'  Party  in  Wyoming 70 

They  Follow  Up  the  Yellowstone  and  are  Attacked  by 
Blackfeet — Cross  Over  to  the  Big  Horn  and  go  South — Reach 
the  Sweetwater — Another  Attack  by  Indians — Retreat  South 
Across  the  Laramie  Plains  and  Reach  the  Headwaters  of 
the  South  Platte — Comanches  Attack  the  Party  and  Kill  all 
But  Three — Williams  Returns  to  St.  Louis  and  the  Two 
Others  go  to  Southern  California — The  Leader  Again  Visits 
the  Sweetwater  in  1809. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Astoria  Expedition 74 

The  Tonauin  Sails  For  the  Mouth  of  the  Columbia — 
Wilson  P.  Hunt  Organizes  a  Land  Expedition  and  Goes  up 
the  Missouri — The  Party  Reaches  the  Country  Which  Is 
Now  Wyoming — Numerous  Attempts  Made  to  Cross  the  Big 
Horn  Mountains — Finally  Ascend  the  Middle  Fork  of  the 
Powder  River  and  Reach  the  No  Wood — Journey  Up  the  Big 
Horn  and  Big  Wind  Rivers — Cross  Sheridan  Pass  to  the 
Headwaters  of  Green  River — First  View  of  the  Grand  Tetons 
— Crossing  the  Green  River  Valley — They  Reach  the  Head- 
waters of  the  Columbia. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Astorians  in  Wyoming 85 

Hunt  and  His  Party  Follow  Down  the  Mad  (Snake)  River 
— They  Reach  Henry's  Fort — Build  Canoes  and  Attempt  the 


Contents.  ix 

PAGE. 

Further  Journey  by  Water — Three  Hundred  and  Forty  Miles 
•Below  Again  Take  to  the  Land — Great  Suffering  of  the  Party 
Through  Hunger  and  Cold — At  Last  Reach  the  Falls  of  the 
Columbia — Balance  of  the  Journey  Made  by  Canoes — Arrival 
at  Astoria. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Conditions  at  Astoria 91 

Aarrival  of  the  Tonquin — David  Stuart's  Expedition  to 
Establish  a  New  Trading  Post — David  Thompson,  of  the 
Northwest  Company,  Comes  Down  the  Columbia  to  Plant 
the  British  Flag  at  the  Mouth  of  that  River,  But  Is  Too  Late 
— Disaster  to  the  Tonquin  and  the  Murder  of  Her  Crew  by 
Indians — Mr.  Lewis'  Terrible  Revenge — Indians  at  Astoria 
Held  in  Check  by  Threats  of  Spreading  Small-pox  Among 
Them — Arrival  of  the  Beaver  From  New  York — Departure 
of  Hunt  For  New  Archangel  and  the  Sandwich  Islands — 
Treachey  of  McDougal — Abandonment  of  Astoria. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered 101 

Robert  Stuart  and  His  Little  Band  of  Six  Pass  Around 
the  South  End  of  the  Wind  River  Range  during  the  Early 
Winter  of  1812 — Discovery  of  the  Sweetwater  River  and 
Passage  Down  That  Stream — They  Camp  at  Bessemer  for  the 
Winter — Leave  Their  Winter  Camp  For  Fear  of  Indians — 
Great  Suffering  of  the  Party  as  They  Journey  Down  the 
Platte — Discovery  of  the  Platte  River  Canon— Second  Winfer 
Encampment — Journey  Down  the  River  in  the  Spring  of 
1813. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Ashley's  Trappers  in  Wyoming 119' 

Trapping  on  the  Yellowstone,  Big  Horn,  Big  Wind,  and 
Other  Sources  of  the  Missouri — Names  the  Sweetwater  and 
Changes  the  Name  Spanish  River  to  Green  River — Employs 
Over  Three  Hundred  Trappers — His  Expedition  to  Salt  Lake 
— Marvelous  Success  As  a  Fur  Trader — Makes  a  Fortune  and 
Sells  Out  to  Sublette,  Campbell,  Bridger  and  Others — His 
Speech  to  the  Mountain  Men— Changes  the  Character  of  the 
Trapper  by  Mounting  Him  on  Horseback — A  Lifelong  Per- 
sonal Friend  of  Every  Trapper  Who  Shared  With  Him  the 
Dangers  of  the  Mountains — Author's  Tribute  to  the  American 
Trapper. 


X  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XII.  PAGE. 

Fur  Trappers  and  Traders 130 

Captain  William  Sublette  Succeeds  General  Ashley — He 
Organizes  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  With  Jedediah. 
S.  Smith,  David  E.  Jackson  and  Others  as  Partners — Brilliant 
Campaign  Planned  and  Carried  Out — Names  Jackson's  Hole 
and  Lake — Introduces  Wagons  Into  the  Service  in  Wyoming 
— Captain  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth — Battle  of  Pierre's  Hole — 
Death  of  Vanderberg — Bridger's  Affair  With  the  Chief  of  the 
Blackfeet — Success  Attends  the  Fur  Trade. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming 148 

Leaves  Fort  Osage  With  Twenty  Wagons  and  One  Hun- 
dred and  Ten  Men — Reaches  the  Platte  River  Below  Grand 
Island — Scott's  Bluffs  and  Origin  of  the  Name — Follows  the 
North  Fork  of  the  Platte — Crosses  Over  to  the  Sweetwater — 
Experience  of  Tom  Cain — Rejoicings  After  Crossing  the  Con- 
tinental Divide — Fontenelle  Overtakes  the  Bonneville  Party — 
Arrival  at  Green  River — Fortifies  His  Camp — Free  Trappers 
Visited  by  Blackfeet. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Bonneville  Sends  Out  His  Trappers 157 

Various  Detachments  in  the  Field — Main  Party  Pass 
Through  Jackson's  Hole  and  Pierre's  Hole  on  the  Way  to 
Solomon  River — Meets  the  Nez  Perces — His  Opinion  of  This 
Tribe — Experiences  During  the  Winter — Rendezvous  on. 
Green  River  in  1833 — Stories  of  His  Several  Leaders — Scenes 
at  the  Rendezvous — A  Digression  by  the  Author,  in  Which 
He  Tells  of  the  Relations  Between  Captain  Bonneville  attd 
Washington  Irving — Valuable  Services  Rendered  the  Govern- 
ment. 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Bonneville  Leaves  Wyoming 171 

Furs  Collected,  Convoyed  to  the  Big  Horn  and  Shipped 
by  Bull  Boats — Interesting  Incidents  of  the  Journey  North — 
Discovery  of  the  Great  Tar  Spring — Dangers  and  Difficulties 
of  the  Return  Trip — Discovery  of  the  Big  Hot  Spring  Near 
the  Present  Site  of  Fort  Washakie — Captain  Bonneville  At- 
tempts to  Work  His  Way  Through  the  Wind  River  Range — 
Ascent  of  Mount  Bonneville — Toilsome  Journey — Discovers 


Contents.  xi 

PAGE. 

a  Community  of  Beavers — Returns  to  His  Caches  on  Green 
River  by  Way  of  South  Pass — Crosses  the  Wind  River  Range 
at  the  Head  of  Green  River — Many  Incidents  of  His  Second 
Journey  to  the  Columbia — Last  Winter  in  the  Mountains — 
Rendezvous  in  the  Wind  River  Valley— Returns  to  Civiliza- 
tion. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders 188 

Trappers  First  Permanent  Settlers  in  Wyoming — Per- 
sonal Mention  of  Jim.  Beckwourth — Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth — 
James  Bridger — Kit  Carson — Jedediah  S.  Smith — Joshua 
Pilcher — George  W.  Ebberts — Robert  Newell — Captain 
William  Sublette — Thomas  Fitzpatrick — Frapp — Jervaise — 
Fontenelle — Jennings — LeRoy — Ross — Sinclair  Brothers — 
Dripps — Vasques — Goodale — Pappen — Tulleck. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Opening  of  First  Highway— 1835-1843 207 

The  Missionaries,  Parker  and  Whitman,  Pass  Up  the 
Platte,  Sweetwater,  and  Reach  Green  River— Dr.  Whitman 
Returns  to  the  States — A  Romantic  Wedding  Tour — First 
Two  White  Women  in  Wyoming — Remarkable  Fourth  of 
July  Celebration  at  South  Pass — Grand  Reception  Given  the 
Pioneer  Women  at  Green  River — Arrival  in  Oregon — Perilous 
Ride  of  Dr.  Whitman — Passes  Through  Wyoming  With  a 
Thousand  Settlers— The  Indian  Massacre — The  Hero  of  West- 
ern Civilization. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Father  Peter  De  Smet 229 

His  Arrival  in  Wyoming  and  Passage  Up  the  North 
Platte  and  Sweetwater — The  Flatheads  Meet  Him  at  Green 
River — Wonderful  Interest  Shown  by  the  Indians  in  This 
Priest — He  Tells  of  His  Experiences  and  Future  Labors — 
Many  Visits  to  Wyoming— Incident  Among  the  Crows — 
Supposed  Knowledge  of  Gold  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains — 
His  Death  at  St.  Louis — What  Is  Thought  of  Father  DeSmet 
in  Wyoming. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming 238 

The  First  Military  Expedition  to  Visit  Our  State— The  Main 
Detachment  Follows  the  North  Platte  to  Fort  Laramie — Fre- 


xii  Contents. 

PAGE. 

mont,  With  a  Small  Party,  Visits  Fort  St.  Vrain  and  Passes 
North  to  Fort  Laramie — Description  of  the  Fort  as  It  Appear- 
ed in  1842 — Indians  Invite  Them  to  Partake  of  a  Dog  Feast 
—Indian  Chiefs  Warn  the  Party  that  if  They  Go  Further 
West,  They  Will  Be  Killed— Fremont's  Speech  of  Defiance- 
Expedition  Goes  Forward — Observations  Regarding  For- 
mations, Soil,  Climate,  Etc. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming  (Continued) 255 

Meets  a  Band  of  Ogalalla  Sioux — Discouraging  Reports 
of  the  Condition  of  the  Country — Severe  Drought  and  a 
Grasshopper  Plague — Advised  to  Give  up  the  Expedition — 
Boldly  Pushes  Forward — Journey  Up  the  Sweetwater — 
Crosses  South  Pass — Penetrates  the  Wind  River  Range — 
Climbs  Fremont's  Peak — The  Return  Journey — Engraves  a 
Cross  on  Independence  Rock — More  Carefully  Explores  the 
North  Platte — Returns  to  Fort  Laramie — Follows  the  Platte 
to  the  Missouri — Goes  Down  the  Missouri  in  a  Ten-Oared 
Boat — Arrives  at  St.  Louis. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Fremont's  Second  Expedition  Through  Wyoming 274 

The  Start  From  the  Missouri — Follow  the  Kansas  River — 
Command  Divided — Explorations  in  Colorado — Two  Divi- 
sions Meet  at  Fort  St.  Vrain — Twenty-Five  Men  With  the 
Baggage  Go  By  Way  of  Fort  Laramie  to  Fort  Hall — Fremont 
and  Thirteen  Men  Explore  Laramie  Plains  and  Proceed 
Westward  to  Eastern  Rim  of  Red  Desert — Proceed  North  to 
Sweetwater — Journey  to  Bear  River — Explore  Great  Salt 
Lake — Join  Balance  of  Command  at  Fort  Hall — Explorations 
in  Oregon — Winter  Campaign  in  the  Mountains  of  Cali- 
fornia—Third Exploring  Expedition  and  Experiences  in 
California — Fourth  Exploring  Expedition — Great  Suffering  of 
the  Party  and  Eleven  Deaths — Fremont's  Public  Services. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Discoveries  in  Yellowstone  Park 286 

Joseph  Meek  Strays  Into  the  Park  in  1829  and  Tells  What 
He  Saw — An  Unknown  Explorer  in  1833  Writes  the  First 
Description  of  Geysers — Jim  Bridger  in  1850  Takes  His 
Friends  to  See  the  Curiosities  at  the  Head  of  the  Yellowstone, 
Which  He  Had  Been  Telling  About  for  Twenty-five  Years— 


Contents.  xiii 

PAGE. 

Reynolds'  Expedition  in  1860  Is  Prevented  by  Deep  Snow 
From  Entering  the  Geyser  Country — Numerous  Prospectors 
See  the  Thermal  Springs  and  Geysers — The  Folsom  Ex- 
pedition of  1869 — Organization  of  the  Washburn  Expedition 
in  1870. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

History  of  Fort  Laramie 296 

A  Noted  Post  in  the  Wilderness — Story  of  Jacques 
Laramie — Naming  Laramie  River — Robert  Campbell  Builds 
Fort  William— Name  Changed  to  Fort  Laramie — Purchased 
by  Milton  Sublette,  Jim  Bridger  and  others — Sold  to  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company — Becomes  the  Capital  of  the  Wilderness 
— Palmy  Days  at  the  Old  Trading  Post — Important  Station 
on  the  Overland  Trail — Closing  Days  of  the  Fur  Traders  at 
Fort  Laramie. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

History  of  Fort  Laramie  (Continued) 310 

Purchase  of  Fort  Laramie  by  United  States  Government 
— The  Price  Paid — The  First  Garrison — Reinforcements — Re- 
building of  the  Fort — Scurvy  Attacks  the  Soldiers — Cholera 
at  Scott's  Bluffs — Captain  Ketchum  Relieves  Major  Sander- 
son as  Commander — American  Fur  Company  Retires  Down 
the  River  to  Scott's  Bluffs — Emigrant  Trains — Indians  for 
the  Most  Part  Peaceable — Valuable  Services  of  American 
Fur  Company  to  Emigrants — Treaty  of  1851. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
History  of  Fort  Laramie  (Continued) 320 

Unpleasant  Side  of  the  Service  at  Fort  Laramie — Shut  up 
in  the  Wilderness — Gloom  and  Despondency — Insolent  Sav- 
ages— Indians  Severely  Punished — Lieutenant  Grattan  and 
Thirty  Soldiers  Massacred — Sioux  Tribes  on  the  War  Path — 
Fort  Laramie  Reinforced — Major  Hoffman  Takes  Command 
— The  Sioux  Make  War  on  Emigrant  Trains — Sir  George 
Gore's  Hunting  Expedition — Bridger  Becomes  Guide — 
Terrible  Conditions  Along  the  Overland  Trail — Government 
Urged  to  Protect  Emigrants — War  Department  Aroused  at 
Last. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

The  Oregon  Emigration 330 

Dr.  Elijah  White's  Train  of  1842— Trials  and  Tribula- 


xiv  Contents. 

PAGK. 

tions  by  the  Way— Fitzpatrick  the  Guide — Emigrants  of  1844 
— Extravagant  Prices  at  Fort  Laramie  That  Year — One 
Thousand  Four  Hundred  and  Seventy-five  People  Go  to 
Oregon  in  1844 — Senator  Benton's  Prophecy — The  Business 
of  the  Trail  in  1845— The  Rush  in  1846— Indians  Say  White 
Men  Are  as  Numerous  as  the  Leaves  of  the  Forest — Scenes  at 
Fort  Laramie — Increasing  Emigration  of  1847-8 — The  "Days 
of  Forty-Nine." 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Mormon  Emigration 34© 

Brigham  Young's  Pioneer  Train — An  Incident  on  the 
Eastern  Border  of  Wyoming — Arrival  at  Fort  Laramie^ 
Crossing  the  Platte  Above  Caspar  With  Boats  and  Rafts — 
The  Train  Crosses  South  Pass — Reaches  the  Big  Sandy  and 
Green  River — Jim  Bridger  Meets  Brigham  Young— The  Stop 
at  Fort  Bridger — Train  Passes  Out  of  Wyoming — Arrival  in 
Salt  Lake.  Valley — Incidents  Connected  with  the  Mormon 
Settlement — Character  of  Brigham  Young. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

History  of  Fort  Bridger 34^ 

First  a  Trappers'  and  Traders'  Rendezvous — Bridger 
Builds  a  Block  House — The  Bridger  and  Vasquez  Partnership 
The  Mormons  Settle  Around  the  Fort  in  1853 — Rebuilt  in 
1855 — Occupied  by  Government  Troops,  Winter  of  1857-8 
— Troops  on  Short  Rations — Captain  Marcy's  Winter  Journey 
— Fort  Rebuilt  by  the  Government — Practically  Abandoned 
in  1861 — Judge  Carter  Orgajiizes  a  Company  of  Mountaineers 
to  Garrison  the  Fort — California  and  Nevada  Volunteers 
Occupy  the  Post  From  1862  to  1866— Arrival  of  United  States 
Troops  to  Replace  Volunteers — Troops  Protect  Overland 
Stages  and  Engineers  of  Union  Pacific  Railway — Abandoned 
in  1890. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Events  on  the  Overland 359 

What  Came  of  Fremont's  Explorations — Hockaday  and 
Liggett's  Monthly  Stage  from  the  Missouri  to  Salt  Lake — Fort 
Kearney,  South  Pass  and  Honey  Lake  Wagon  Road — Winter 
Camp  in  the  Wind  River  Valley — Colonel  F.  W.  Lander  and 
the  Shoshone  Indians — Russell,  Majors  and  Waddell,  the 
Freighters— Daily  Stage  Line— The  Pony  Express— Fight  Be- 
tween the  Shoshones  and  Sioux— Death  of  War  Chief  Wash- 
akie's Eldest  Son— Construction  of  the  Telegraph  Line. 


Contents.  xv 

CHAPTER  XXX.  page. 

Changing  the  Overland  Trail 374 

Ben  Holliday  Becomes  Proprietor  of  the  Stage  Line — 
Shoshones  Capture  all  the  Horses  For  a  Distance  of  200  Miles 
— The  Mormon  Battalion — Arrival  of  Volunteer  Troops — The 
Emigrant  Road  Expedition — Colonel  P.  Edward  Connor  Takes 
Charge  of  the  Military  District  of  Utah — Fort  Douglass  Lo- 
cated— Fort  Bridger  Garrisoned — Mormon  Effort  to  Have 
Troops  Removed  From  Fort  Douglass — Colonel  Connor's 
Letter  to  the  War  Department — Removal  of  the  Stages  to  the 
Laramie  Plains  and  Bridger  Pass  Route — Whisky  Gap  Named 
— Thorough  Equipment  of  the  Holliday  Line. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Indian  Depredations  on  the  Overland 390 

Colonel  Connor's  Winter  Campaign — Battle  of  Bear  River 
— Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-Four  Indians  Killed — Colonel 
Connor  Made  a  Brigadier  General — Southern  Utes  Go  on  the 
War  Path — Additional  Troops  Asked  For — General  Connor 
Makes  a  Statement  to  the  War  Department  Regarding  the 
Mormons — Major  Wynkoop  Ordered  to  the  Overland  Trail — 
Hostiles  Attack  Sweetwater  Station — Utes  Attack  Stage 
Station  on  Laramie  Plains — The  Bannocks  and  Snakes  Want 
Peace — Wyoming  Attached  to  the  Military  District  of 
Colorado — Utes  Sue  For  Peace  in  Utah — The  Career  of  the 
Notorious  Joseph  A.  Slade  In  Wyoming — His  Execution  by 
Vigilantes  in  Montana. 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Indian  Troubles  on  the  Overland 406 

Events  of  1864 — A  Glance  Backward — The  Crow  Country 
— The  Crow  Character — What  Robert  Campbell  Says  of  Them 
—The  Bozeman  Road— The  Man  Who  Laid  It  Out  and  His 
Death — Overland  Stage  Company  Complains — General  Con- 
nor's Policy  With  the  Indians  Successful — Return  of  Stolen 
Property — General  Connor  Ordered  to  Protect  the  Over- 
land From  Salt  Lake  to  Fort  Kearney — Mormons  Attempt 
to  Have  Camp  Douglass  Removed — General  Connor's  Trouble 
With  the  Mormons — The  Outlook  for  1865. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  Bloody  Year  on  the  Plains 422 

Indians  Become  Experts  in  Killing  and  Robbing— Hos- 


xvi  Contents. 

PAGE. 

tilities  Open  on  January  7 — Captain  O'Brien's  Desperate 
Fight  Against  Overwhelming  Numbers — The  Burning  of 
Julesburg  Station — The  Attack  on  Mud  Springs  Station — 
Colonel  Collins  Brings  Relief — Fight  at  Rush  Creek — De- 
struction of  the  Telegraph  Line — Colonel  Collins  Returns  to 
Fort  Laramie — His  Recommendations  to  the  Government 
— Organization  of  the  Department  of  the  Plains — General 
Connor  Placed  in  Command — Indians  Attack  Deer  Creek 
Station — Colonel  Moonlight's  Expedition  to  Wind  River — 
Renewed  Trouble  at  Julesburg — Capture  of  Two  Face  and 
Blackfoot — Their  Execution  at  Fort  Laramie — Rescue  of  Mrs. 
Bubanks — The  Schuyler  Colfax  Party. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  Bloody  Year  on  the  Plains  (Continued) 445 

Headquarters  Removed  From  Denver  to  Julesburg — 
Colonel  Moonlight  Places  Additional  Troops  on  the  Telegraph. 
Line — District  Inspectors  Appointed — Commanders  of  the 
Different  Posts — Indians  Attack  Rock  Ridge  and  Sweetwater 
Stations — Attack  and  Burning  of  St.  Mary's  Station — Affair 
at  Platte  Bridge — Trouble  at  Sage  Creek.Pine  Grove  an* 
Bridger  Pass  Stations — Second  Attack  on  Sage  Creek  Station 
— The  Stage  Company  Refuses  to  Run  Coaches — Soldiers 
Mutiny — So-Called  Friendly  Indians  Mutiny — Colonel  Moon- 
light's Troubles — General  Connor  Getting  Ready  For  a  Cam- 
paign on  Powder  River — Troops  Delayed  By  Bad  Roads — 
Additional  Troubles  on  the  Telegraph  Line  and  the  Stage 
Route  Across  Laramie  Plains — Niobrara  and  Montana  Wagon 
Road. 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

The  Bloody  Year  on  the  Plains  (Continued) 469 

The  Massacre  at  Platte  Bridge — Lieutenant  Caspar  W. 
Collins  Goes  Out  to  Insure  the  Safety  of  a  Wagon  Train  and 
Is  Killed  Together  With  Eight  of  His  Men  and  Seven  More 
Wounded — Twenty-One  Men  Belonging  to  the  Wagon 
Train  Are  All  Killed  But  Three — Three  Thousand  Indians 
Threaten  Platte  Bridge — How  Fort  Caspar  Received  Its 
Name — Able  Letter  on  the  Indian  Question  by  Major  General 
John  Pope — Indian  Affairs  Discussed  by  the  Author — Mis- 
takes Made  by  the  Government  in  the  Management  of  the 
Indians— General  Connor  Is  Given  a  New  Command — General 
Wheaton  Assumes  Command  of  the  District  of  Nebraska, 


Contents.  xvli 

PAGE. 

With  Headquarters  at  Port  Laramie — Reduction  of  the  Army 
on  the  Plains — Its  Effect  on  the  Savages — The  Much  Talked 
of  Peace  Conference  to  be  Held  at  Fort  Laramie,  May,  1866. 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
The  Bloody  Year  on  the  Phiins  (Continued) 491 

Troops  Operating  Against  Savages — Divided  Into  Small 
Detachments — Red  Men  Have  Things  Their  Own  Way — In- 
dian Affairs  and  the  Indian  Question — The  Powder  River 
Campaign  Discussed  and  Determined  by  Generals  Pope, 
Dodge  and  Connor — General  Connor  Issues  His  Instructions 
to  Colonel  Cole  and  Makes  Known  His  Plan  of  Campaign — 
Departure  of  the  Expedition — Captain  George  F.  Price  Left  In 
Command  at  Fort  Laramie — Pope  Abolishes  the  District  of 
the  Plains — Assigns  Connor  to  the  District  of  Utah — General 
F.  Wheaton  Assigned  to  the  District  of  Nebraska  With  Head- 
quarters at  Fort  Laramie — Indian  Depredations  on  the  Tele- 
graph and  Mail  Line  After  General  Connor's  Departure  For 
Powder  River. 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Report  of  the  Powder  River  Expedition 505 

Captain  Palmer's  Dairy — The  Army  of  Invasion  Starts 
North — Crossing  the  Platte  at  LaBonta's  Ranch — Incidents  by 
the  Way — Building  of  Fort  Connor — A  Running  Fight — 
Twenty-Four  Indians  Killed — A  Skirmish — Visits  Lake  De 
Smet — Something  About  Jim  Bridger — Battle  of  Tongue 
River — Exciting  Scenes  on  the  Field  of  Carnage — The  March 
Down  Tongue  River — Anxiety  About  Colonel  Cole's  Com- 
mand— Scouring  the  Country  For  Indians — Colonel  Cole 
Heard  From  and  His  Troops  Reported  to  Be  in  a  Starving 
Condition — He  Fails  to  Meet  General  Connor  at  the  Appoint- 
ed Place  of  Rendezvous — Return  of  the  Various  Commands 
to  Fort  Laramie. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

Thrilling^  Events  of  the  Bozeman  Road 541 

Mountain  District  Organized — Colonel  H.  B.  Carrington 
Assumes  Command — Expedition  Moves  From  Fort  Kearney 
— The  Peace  Conference  at  Fort  Laramie— Red  Cloud's 
Position  and  Brave  Words — The  March  to  Fort  Reno — The 
Building  of  the  New  Fort — Selecting  a  Site  for  Fort  Phil. 
Kearney— Erection    of    the    Post    Commenced — Conference 


xviii  Contents. 

PAGE. 

With  Hostiles— First  Encounter  With  the  Savages— Attack 
on  Train  at  Clear  Creek— Lieutenant  Daniels  Killed— Fort 
C.  F.  Smith  located — General  Hazen  Inspects  the  Posts — Fort 
Phil.  Kearney  Practically  Completed  October  31st. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Thrilling  Events  of  the  Bozeman  Road  (Continued)' 560 

Description  of  Fort  Phil.  Kearney — Colonel  Carrington's 
Address  and  Hoisting  the  Flag— A  Night  Attack— The  Gar- 
rison Harassed  by  Night  and  by  Day— Fight  of  December 
6th,  Lieutenant  Bingham  and  Sergeant  Bowers  Killed— The 
Fetterman  Massacre — Eighty-One  Brave  Men  Meet  Death — 
Scenes  at  the  Fort— Burial  of  the  Dead— John  Phillips'  Daring 
Ride  for  Help— His  Arrival  at  Fort  Laramie — Reinforce- 
ments Go  to  Fort  Phil.  Kearney— Suffering  of  the  Troops 
From  the  Cold  on  the  Journey — A  Review  of  the  Causes 
Which  Led  to  the  Massacre. 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Red  Cloud  Continues  the  War  1807 580 

Government  Wants  Peace — Red  Cloud  Jubilant — Brig- 
adier General  Wessels  Takes  Command  of  Fort  Phil.  Kearney 
— Carrington  Goes  to  Fort  McPherson— General  P.  St.  George 
Cooke  Removed  and  General  Augur  Assumes  Command  of 
the  Department  of  the  Platte — Report  of  Congressional  Com- 
mittee on  the  Fetterman  Massacre — Red  Cloud,  With  a  Large 
Force,  Hovers  About  Fort  Phil.  Kearney — Makes  Preparations 
to  Storm  the  Fort — Major  Powell's  Desperate  Fight  With 
Red  Cloud— Indians  Severely  Beaten— Recruits  His  Forces 
From  Other  Tribes — Spotted  Tail  Punishes  Deserters — 
Building  of  Fort  Fetterman — Fort  D.  A.  Russell  I^ocated. 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

Mistaken  Policy  of  the  Government  1868 .598 

Indians  Continue  Hostilities — Record  for  the  Month  of 
March — Peace  Commissioners  Assemble  at  Fort  Laramie 
— Red  Cloud  Agrees  to  Terms  But  Does  Not  Sign — Six  Hun- 
dred of  His  Warriors  Dissatisfied  and  Withdraw— The 
Marauding  Bands  Continue  the  War — Forts  Reno,  Phil. 
Kearney  and  C.  F.  Smith  Abandoned — Several  Regiments 
Withdraw  From  the  Plains — General  Sheridan  Points  Out 
the  Mistakes  of  the  Peace  Policy  of  the  Government — Indian 
Troubles  Renewed — Schuyler  Colfax's  Message  to  the  War 


Contents.  xix 

PAGE. 

Department — Governor  Hunt  of  Colorado  Asks  for  Arms — 
General  Sherman's  Reply — Generals  Sheridan  and  Custer 
Take  the  Field — Text  of  the  Sioux  Treaty — Building  of  Fort 
Fred.  Steele. 

CHAPTER  XTJT. 

The  Territory  of  Wyoming  1868 621 

The  Building  of  a  Railroad  Necessitates  a  Government — 
The  Name  Wyoming  and  Its  Origin — The  First  Bill  in  Con- 
gress— Dr.  Hiram  Latham  Sent  to  Washington  as  an  Agent  of 
the  People — Circular  Distributed  Among  the  Senators  and 
Members  of  the  House  of  Representatives— Bill  Passes  the 
Senate — Difficulties  Encountered  in  the  House — It  was 
Finally  Passed  and  Signed  by  the  President — Territorial  Offi- 
cers Nominated  by  President  Johnson  But  Not  Confirmed 
by  the  Senate — Bill  Delayed  Until  General  Grant  Becomes 
President — The  Act  Organizing  the  Territory. 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

South  Pass  Gold  Discoveries  1842-1869 636 

A  Georgian  Makes  the  First  Discovery  in  1842 — Thirteen 
Years  Later  Forty  Men  Arrived  and  Made  Rich  Discoveries — 
Next  Year  They  Are  Driven  Out  of  the  Country  by  United 
States  Troops— The  Attempts  at  Mining  From  1858  to  1864 — 
Lieutenant  Brown's  Discoveries — Major  Baldwin  Outfits  Two 
Prospectors — Organization  of  the  Lincoln  Mining  District — 
Discovery  of  Carissa  in  1867 — Killing  of  Captain  Lawrence 
and  Tony  Shields  by  Indians — Mad  Rush  to  South  Pass  in 
1868 — Numerous  Rich  Mines  Discovered  That  Year — Attack 
by  Indians — Building  of  Sawmills  and  Quartz  Mills — Dis- 
coveries of  1869 — More  Indian  Depredations — Murders  of 
the  Year — Pioneers  of  the  Camps. 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
Building  the  Union  Pacific 675 

National  Surveys — Chartered  by  Congress — Subsidy  in 
Lands — Government  Bonds  Loaned — The  Road  a  National 
Necessity — Patriotic  Private  Citizens  Furnish  Money  and 
Construct  the  Road — The  Government  Secures  Great  Benefits 
For  Which  It  Pays  Practically  Nothing — Incidents  in  th»> 
History  of  Construction — Marvelous  Speed  of  the  Track 
Layers — A  Well  Organized  Army  of  Builders — Building 
Across  Wyoming— Bear  River  Riot— Close  of  1888. 


XX  Contents. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  XLY. 

Pioneers  and  Origin  of  Names 685 

August  Lucius,  First  Government  Interpreter  at  Fort 
Laramie — Sergeant  Leodiger  Schneider — Ward  and  Guerrier 
and  Other  Post  Traders  at  Fort  Laramie — James  Baker — 
Origin  of  the  Name  of  Independence  Rock — Richard  Wootten 
in  Wyoming — Origin  of  the  Name  Platte  River — B.  F.  Lowe, 
Henry  Perri — Old  Trappers  and  Traders — Origin  of  Names 
of  Big  Horn  River  and  Mountains,  Big  Wind  River,  Wind 
River  Range,  Shoshone  Range,  Popo  Agie  Rivers,  Teton 
Range  and  Peaks — Climbing  the  Grand  Teton. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Opposite 
Page 

Ames,   Oakes    681 

Amoretti,   E 656 

Author,   The    Frontispiece 

Baker,  Jim 689 

Baker,  Jim.,  Residence  of  544 

Baldwin,  Major  Noyes 672 

Baldwin,  Mrs.  Noyes   672 

Bonneville,  Capt.  B.  L.  E 192 

Bridger,  James 192 

Bridger's   Ferry    368 

Bucknum,  C.  K 704 

Cannon,  George  Q 344 

Carson,  Kit    256 

Cheney,  Ervin  F 672 

Connor,  Maj.  Gen.  and  Staff 512 

Connor,  Maj.  Gen.  P.  E 512 

Deer  Creek  Overland  Stage  Station 361 

De  Smet,  Father  Peter  192 

Devil's  Gate    264 

Dickinson,  Mrs.  Margaret  664 

Dillon,  Sidney   681 

Durant,  Thos.  C 681 

Emigrants  Crossing  the  Platte 336 

Fetterman  Massacre,  Map  of  Ground  570 

Fort  Caspar   480 

Fort  Fetterman    320 

Fort  Philip  Kearney    561 

Fort  Laramie,  1836 304 

Fort  Laramie,  1871 304 

Fort  Laramie,  1889  320 

Fort  Reno   544 

Fremont,  Gen.  John  C 256 

Fremont's  Speech  at  Fort  Laramie  256 

Fremont's  Peak   272 

Gould,  Jay    681 

Hoback  Canon,  Entrance  to 88 


xxii  Illustrations. 

Opposite 
Page 

Hooper,  W.  H 344 

Hyde,   Orson    344 

Independence   Rock    264 

Indian  Attack  on  Overland  Stage 480 

Irwin,  Dr.  James   664 

Kelly,  H.  B 465 

Kime,  James    672 

La  Bonte  Stage  Station  368 

Lander,  Gen.  F.  W 465 

Langford,  Nathaniel  P 192 

McAuley,   Robert    649 

McAvoy,  James  A 664 

Mormon   Pioneers    344 

Morris,  Esther,  at  age  of  50 640 

Natural  Bridge   112 

Nickerson,  Capt.  H.  G 649 

O'Brien,  Capt.  N.  J 512 

Palmer,  Capt.  H.  B 512 

Platte  Canon,  Looking  South  112 

Platte  Canon,  Looking  North  112 

Phillips,  John   465 

Phillips,  John,  at  Horse  Shoe  Station  592 

Pony  Express  Station   361 

Pratt,    Orson    344 

Ramsey,  Mrs.  Addie   664 

Red  Cloud,  Chief,  at  age  of  72 592 

Richards,  Lieut.  A.  V 512 

Ricketts,  R.  M 672 

Sawyers,  Col.  James  A 465 

Scott,  Thos.  A 681 

Sharp,  John   344 

Spangler,  Samuel  L 672 

Sun,  Tom 704 

Taylor,  John 344 

Tetons,  from  Jackson's  Lake  88 

Ware,  Lieut.  Eugene  F 512 

Wells,  Mayor  Daniel  H 344 

Wiggins,  O.  P 192 

Wind  River  Range   272 

Woodruff,  J.  D 649 

Woodruff,   W 344 

Young,  President  Brigham , 344 


INTRODUCTION. 

BY   JUDGE    J.  H.  HAYFORD. 

Having  been  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  in  Wyoming, 
the  oldest  journalist  in  the  State,  being  intimately  acquaint- 
ed with  the  author,  having  had  free  access  to  the  advance 
sheets  of  this  history  during  all  its  preparation;  is  my  apol- 
ogy for  accepting  an  invitation  to  write  a  brief  introduction 
to  this  great  work. 

It  is  fortunate  for  the  State  that  the  task  of  writing 
its  history  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  one  so  well  qualified 
and  equipped  for  the  undertaking  as  C.  G.  Coutant.  From 
his  youth  he  has  engaged  in  literary  work,  for  many  years 
connected  with  the  Metropolitan  Press  of  New  York  City, 
by  which  he  w^as  detailed  to  examine  proposed  railroad 
routes  across  the  continent,  and  later  he  followed  along 
the  lines  of  the  great  trans-continental  railways  during  the 
period  of  their  construction.  Since  the  year  1859  he  has 
been  familiar  with  all  parts  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  coun- 
try and  been  personally  acquainted  with  many  of  the  noted 
pioneers.  The  events  which  make  up  the  history  of  Wyo- 
ming, have  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  been  familiar  to  him 
from  his  boyhood.  These  circumstances  and  his  literary  ex- 
perience have  especially  qualified  him  to  write  the  story  of 
Wyoming's  past. 

The  public  can  never  know  or  realize  the  vast  amount 
of  travel,  research,  experience  and  hard  work  which  was 
necessary  in  going  back  into  the  misty  past  to  gather  from 
tradition,  from  early  explorers,  from  oflQcial  data  contained 
in  the  War  Department;  as  well  as  the  investigation  of  per- 
sonal adventures  of  individuals,  all  necessary  in  the  produc- 
tion of  a  work  of  this  character.    It  was  truly  a  Herculean 


xxiv  tntroducUon. 

task.  It  has  been  pioneer  work.  No  history  of  Wyoming 
had  ever  been  written.  The  author  has  felt  an  overwhelm- 
ing sense  of  responsibility  of  the  task  in  writing  a  history 
which  is  to  be  a  record,  not  only  for  this,  but  for  coming 
generations.  It  must  be  accurate  and  in  every  way  reliable 
and  it  is  this  that  made  the  undertaking  laborious  and  dif- 
ficult. This  experienced  writer  and  searcher  after  facts 
has  done  his  work  with  a  most  scrupulous  and  conscientious 
regard  to  accuracy  in  every  particular.  The  conclusions 
drawn  from  the  facts  of  history  are  given  fairly  and  impar- 
tially, without  flattery  on  the  one  hand  or  censoriousness 
on  the  other. 

The  work  will  be  found  to  be,  not  only  reliable  history 
of  our  State,  but  more  intensely  and  thrillingly  interesting 
than  any  romance  of  the  period.  The  hardships,  privations 
and  hair-breadth  escapes  of  the  pioneers,  the  adventures  of 
the  hunters  and  trappers  of  a  century  ago  and  the  Indian 
wars  of  later  times  are  all  graphically  and  accurately  writ- 
ten out.  The  work,  when  completed,  will  be  of  the  greatest 
value  and  of  the  most  absorbing  interest,  not  ouly  to  the  pi- 
oneers and  citizens  generally  of  the  State,  but  to  coming 
generations  and  to  the  whole  country.  Let  us  all  hope  and 
pray  that  Mr.  Coutant  may  live  to  complete  this  lasting 
monument  to  his  honorable  and  useful  labors  of  a  lifetime. 


HISTOET  OF  WYOMING. 


CHAPTER  I. 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 


Grand  Possibilities — Mineral  Wealth — Backbone  of  the  Continent 
— Fountain  Head  of  Mighty  Rivers — Boundary  of  Wyoming — 
Names  of  Rivers  and  Mountains. 

With  beauty  as  rare  and  scenery  as  grand  as  can  be 
found  in  the  known  world;  with  a  wealth  of  mineral  re- 
sources which  will  equal,  if  not  surpass,  all  other  geographi- 
cal divisions  of  the  United  States,  Wyoming  is  found  in  the 
closing  years  of  the  19th  century  possessing  great  possibili- 
ties in  the  way  of  future  development.  The  vast  storehouses 
filled  with  coal,  oil,  iron,  copper,  gold,  silver  and  countless 
other  minerals,  await  capital  and  enterprise  to  unlock  the 
deposits  and  make  them  available  for  the  use  of  man. 

Side  by  side  with  the  mineral  wealth  is  to  be  found  a 
soil  to  produce  a  food  supply  sufficient  for  the  wants 
of  more  than  two  million  of  population.  The  inexhaust- 
ible quantity  of  water  for  irrigation  insures  the  success  of 
agriculture  for  all  time  to  come,  and  hand  in  hand  all  these 
await  the  coming  of  those  who  are  in  search  of  opportunities 
to  earn  their  bread  in  the  manner  set  forth  in  the  divine  law 
governing  the  affairs  of  the  children  of  men.  As  the  story  of 
Wyoming  proceeds  it  will  be  seen  that  its  people  have  laid 
a  broad  and  solid  foundation  whereon  to  build  a  great  and 
prosperous  commonwealth. 

Wyoming,  is,  so  to  speak,  the  backbone  as  well  as  the 
heart   of   the    continent.      From   her    almost   inaccessible 

-(2) 


l8  History  of  Wyoming. 

mountains  flow  the  headwaters  which  form  the  mighty 
rivers  of  the  West.  Thus  our  State  is  the  fountain  head 
of  the  great  streams  that  find  their  way  into  the  Atlantic, 
the  Pacific  and  the  Gulf  of  California,  insuring  us  water 
wherewith  to  fertilize  our  many  valleys  and  broad  plains. 
Here  under  the  very  shadow  of  awe  inspiring  mountain 
peaks,  a  vast  population  has  ample  opportunity  to  build 
homes  and  develop  farms  which  shall  never  suffer  from 
drought  but  will  year  after  year  give  an  abundant  harvest 
to  the  husbandman.  AVhere  else  on  this  or  any  other  con- 
tinent has  nature  bestowed  so  many  rich  blessings  to  be 
utilized  by  mankind?  In  many  locations  are  to  be  found 
rich  minerals  which  are  in  demand  the  world  over,  and  as 
if  to  induce  man  to  develop  them,  fuel  is  found  in  abundance 
for  manufacturing  purposes  and  within  the  same  territory, 
rich  farming  lands  abound.  Added  to  all  this  is  a  cli- 
mate of  so  equitable  a  temperature  as  to  make  it  the  desir- 
able home  of  man. 

In  these  pages  I  have  grouped  together  the  conditions 
of  the  wilderness  at  the  time  when  white  men  first  attempted 
to  bring  civilization  into  these  solitudes.  The  story  of  the 
trapper  and  trader  will  be  found  full  of  interest  and  the 
reader  will  unconsciously  become  an  admirer  of  the  brave 
men  who  plied  their  vocation  along  our  mountain  streams. 
The  more  scientific  man — the  explorer — closely  follows  the 
trapper  and  trader  and  completes  the  conquest  of  the  wild- 
erness. The  work  of  these  two  classes  forms  a  story  of 
pioneer  days  which  for  all  time  will  thrill  the  heart  of 
American  youth  and  make  the  history  of  Wyoming  compare 
in  interest  with  that  of  any  other  State. 

This  was  while  the  savage  hordes  lurked  in  the  dark 
defiles  of  our  mountains  and  before  our  pioneers  had  freed 
the  land  from  dangers  seen  and  unseen.  Before  our  cities, 
churches  and  school  houses  were  built.  Before  our  civil 
institutions  were  founded  and  law  and  order  had  come  to 
rule  the  State!  Before  the  great  battle  of  civilization  had 
been  fought  and  won! 

The  opening  of  that  great  highway,  the  Overland  trail, 


Introductory  Remarks.  19 

across  our  State,  is  a  story  of  all-absorbing  interest,  from 
tke  time  (1812)  when  Robert  Stuart  and  Ms  little  band 
lost  themselves  in  the  then  unknown  and  unnamed  interior 
of  what  is  now  Wyoming  and  wandered  aimlessly  through 
the  deep  snows  of  winter,  down  to  the  banks  of  the  Sweet- 
water and  followed  on,  only  hoping  and  believing  that  they 
had  discovered  a  stream  which  would  eventually  empty  its 
waters  into  the  Missouri.  The  path  marked  out  by  these 
wanderers  became,  in  a  few  years,  a  great  highway  over 
which  passed  a  restless  tide  of  humanity  numbering  hun- 
dreds of  thousands,  until  every  mile  of  the  way  was 
marked  with  the  blood  of  innocent  children,  their  loving 
mothers  and  brave  defenders.  The  march  of  empire  west- 
ward brought  bands  of  steel  to  bind  together  the  two  shores 
of  a  continent. 

Savage  men  and  savage  beasts  no  longer  lurk  at  will 
in  our  mountains  or  roam  through  our  valleys.  That  great 
law  of  nature,  *'the  survival  of  the  fittest,"  has  been  applied 
and  has  done  its  perfect  work.  It  will  be  found  that  what 
comes  after  is  even  more  wonderful.  The  building  of  the 
railroads, the  introduction  of  the  stock  business, the  founding 
of  cities  and  counties  were  all  interspersed  with  tragedies, 
Indian  wars  and  thrilling  personal  adventures.  All  these 
things  are  the  foundation  upon  which  was  builded  a  com- 
monwealth having  for  its  cornerstone  equal  rights  for  ils 
sons  and  daughters.  For  the  pioneers  it  was  a  glorious 
achievement,  and  as  we  look  back  at  the  record  we  cannot 
help  saying  that  the  past  is  safe,  and  when  we  turn  to  the 
future  it  is  not  without  hope,  for  it  naturally  follows  that 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  such  progenitors  will  hold  sacred 
the  institutions  founded  by  their  fathers.  Those  who  pur- 
sue this  story  of  the  building  up  of  a  State  will  hardly  fail 
to  notice  that  the  newspaper,  the  school  house  and  the 
church  played  a  conspicuous  part  in  every  community  in 
pioneer  days.  These  were  the  great  engines  of  civilization 
and  to  their  influence  must  be  attributed  results  which  have 
placed  Wyoming  in  the  highest  rank  of  intelligence.  But 
what  of  the  future?    Will  the  brave  blood  of  the  pioneer 


20  History  of  Wyoming. 

when  assisted  by  the  pure  air  of  these  high  altitudes  result 
in  a  race  of  men  and  women  bordering  on  physical  as  well 
as  intellectual  giants?  All  we  can  answer  is  that  the 
foundation  has  been  laid  for  such  a  result.  Time  alone  will 
answer  the  question. 

The  Wyoming  of  which  I  have  written  is  bounded  as 
follows:  Commencing  at  the  intersection  of  the  twenty- 
seventh  meridian  of  longitude  west  from  Washington  with 
the  forty-fifth  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  running  thence 
west  to  the  thirty-fourth  meridian  of  west  longitude;  thence 
south  to  the  forty-first  degree  of  north  latitude;  thence 
■east  to  the  twenty-seventh  meridian  of  west  longitude,  and 
thence  north  to  the  place  of  the  beginning. 

While  Wyoming  is  known  and  must  forever  be  classed 
as  a  mountain  State,  it  is  in  fact  made  up  largely  of  broad 
plains,  out  of  which  rise  mountain  ranges  of  great  beauty, 
and  from  these  flow  the  headwaters  of  innumerable  rivers. 
Commencing  near  the  southeast  comer  of  the  State  is  the 
Laramie  range  which  extends  to  the  northwest,  the  highest 
point  being  Laramie  Peak,  located  84  miles  in  a  direct  line 
from  the  southern  boundary  of  the  State  and  72  miles  west 
of  the  eastern  boundary.  This  range  is  made  up  of  broken 
and  detached  mountain  spurs  which  extend  into  vast  plains 
on  nearly  all  sides.  West  and  south  is  the  Snowy  Range 
and  further  west  are  the  Medicine  Bow  Mountains,  a  spur 
of  the  latter  range;  to  the  northwest  of  these  is  the  Sweet- 
water Range,  made  up  in  part  of  Seminole  and  Green 
Mountains,  and  continuing  northwest,  is  the  Wind  River 
Range,  one  of  the  main  barriers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
forming  the  Continental  Divide.  Beyond  this  are  the  Gros 
Ventre  and  Teton  Ranges.  To  the  south  on  the  west  border 
of  the  State  is  the  Snake  River  Range,  and  south  of  this, 
the  group  of  mountains  known  as  the  Salt  River  Range. 
Commencing  again  on  the  east  line  of  the  State  and  north  of 
the  Laramie  range,  are  the  Black  Hills,  which  are  properly 
a  part  of  the  latter,  also  the  Powder  River  Range.  North 
of  the  center  of  the  State  are  the  famous  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains, like  the  Wind  River  Range,  a  continuation  of  the  main 


Introductory  Remarks.  21 

chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains;  west  of  this  range  are  the 
Owl  Creek  Mountains  and  to  the  northwest  of  the  latter 
are  found  the  Shoshone  Mountains.  The  mountains  above 
mentioned  are  divided  into  numerous  groups  which  for  my 
purpose  need  not  be  explained  here. 

The  water  courses  of  Wyoming  are  very  numerous. 
Commencing  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  State  they 
are,  the  North  Platte  with  its  branches,  the  Big  and  Little 
Laramie  and  Sweetwater.  These  drain  the  southeastern 
portion  of  the  State.  The  North  Platte  rises  in  Colorado,  flow- 
ing generally  in  a  northwesterly  direction  as  far  as  Sage 
Creek,  from  which  point  it  continues  due  north  until  it 
reaches  the  mouth  of  the  Sweetwater  where  it  takes  a 
northeastely  course  around  the  end  of  Caspar  Mountain, 
from  which  point  it  flows  directly  east  for  a  distance  of  50 
miles  and  from  thence  takes  a  southeasterly  course,  re- 
ceiving the  waters  of  the  Laramie  River,  and  passes  into 
the  State  of  Nebraska.  The  Laramie  River  rises  in  the 
mountains  of  Colorado  and  after  reaching  Wyoming  flows 
northeast  for  a  distance  of  25  miles  and  then  north  for  50 
miles;  it  then  takes  a  northeasterly  course  for  a  distance 
of  100  miles  where  it  empties  into  the  North  Platte  River. 
The  Little  Laramie  rises  in  the  Medicine  Bow  Mountains, 
flows  northeast  a  distance  of  about  30  miles  where  it  joins 
the  Laramie  River.  The  Sweetwater,  rising  as  far  west  as 
the  south  end  of  the  Wind  River  Range,  flows  eastwardly 
about  100  miles  where  it  empties  into  the  North  Platte. 
Cheyenne  River  is  located  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
State,  about  100  miles  from  the  northern  boundary.  It» 
tributaries  are  Beaver,  Black  Thunder,  Bear,  Walker, 
Twenty-mile  and  Hat  Creeks,  with  a  dozen  other  smaller 
streams.  The  Belle  Fourche  rises  northeast  of  the  central 
portion  of  the  State  and  flows  100  miles  to  the  northwest 
where  it  turns  abruptly  to  the  southeast  for  20  miles  and 
here  enters  South  Dakota.  Its  principal  tributaries  are, 
Beaver,  Miller,  Inyan  Kara,  Wind,  Buffalo,  Horse,  Donkey 
and  Iron  Creeks.  The  Little  Missouri  rises  in  the  northeast 
part  of  the  State  and  flows  in  a  northeasterly  direction  and 


22'  History  of  Wyoming. 

enters  Montana.  Its  principal  tributaries  are,  North  Fork, 
Prairie  and  Thompson  Creeks.  The  Little  Powder  River 
rises  west  of  the  Little  Missouri  and  flows  north  into  Mon^ 
tana,  where  it  joins  Powder  River  Its  principal  tributaries 
are  Horse,  Wild  Cat,  Buffalo  Hide  and  Cottonwood  Creeks. 
Powder  River  rises  east  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  nearly 
opposite  their  southern  end,  flows  north  about  100  miles 
into  Montana  where  it  becomes  a  tributary  of  the  Yellow- 
stone. Its  principal  tributaries  are.  Clear,  Crazy  Woman, 
Nine  Mile,  Meadow,  North  Fork,  Middle  Fork  and  South 
Fork.  The  Big  Horn  River  is  one  of  the  large  streams  of 
the  State.  It  takes  its  rise  in  the  Wind  River  Range  and 
flows  north  over  150  miles.  Its  principal  tributaries  are 
the  Stinking  Water,  Grey  Bull,  Wind,  Little  Wind  and 
Popo  Agie  Rivers  with  numerous  creeks,  among  which  the 
largest  are  Shell,  No  Wood,  No  Water,  Kirby,  Poison, 
Beaver,  Owl  and  others.  Green  River  takes  its  rise  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Wind  River  Range  and  flows  in  a  southerly 
direction  and  passes  into  Utah.  It  is  a  noble  stream  and 
has  numerous  important  tributaries,  among  which  are  the 
following  creeks:  Bitter,  Big  Sandy,  New  Fork,  Lead, 
Horse,  Marsh,  White  Clay,  Bitter  Root,  Piney,  Le  Barge, 
Fontenelle,  State,  Ham's  Fork,  Pacific  and  Black  Fork.  The 
Snake  River  rises  in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  flows 
south  into  Jackson's  Lake  and  continuing  its  southerly 
course  passes  out  of  the  State  through  the  Grand  Canon 
at  the  south  end  of  the  Snake  River  Range.  Some  of  its 
branches  are  Lewis  River,  Buffalo  Fork,  Elk  Horn,  Gros 
Ventre,  Hoback's  River  and  John  Day's  River.  The  Yel- 
lowstone River  rises  on  the  west  side  of  the  Shoshone 
Mountains  and  flows  northwest  into  Yellowstone  Lake, 
from  which  point  it  takes  a  general  northwesterly  course 
and  enters  Montana,  having  passed  entirely  through  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park.  Its  tributaries  are  too  numer- 
ous to  mention,  but  not  one  of  these  in  the  State  of  Wyo- 
ming is  large. 


Spanish  Occupation.  '  23 


CHAPTER     II. 

SPANISH   OCCUPATION. 

The  Claims  of  the  Spaniards  Regarding  the  Northwest — What 
Different  Writers  Say — Where  Did  the  White  Blood  of  the 
Mandans  Come  From? — Relics  of  Iron  Tools  Found  in  North- 
ern Wyoming  and  Montana — Evidences  of  Mining  and  Agricul- 
culture  Carried  on  Probably  in  the  Seventeenth  Century — 
The  Subject  Referred  to  Future  Historians. 

It  has  long  been  claimed  and  generally  believed  that 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  sixteenth  and  the  beginning 
of  the  seventeentli  century,  one  of  the  numerous  Spanish 
expeditions  which  left  Mexico  penetrated  as  far  north  as 
the  Missouri  River  and  reached  the  Yellowstone  country. 
I  can  find  no  positive  evidence  of  this,  but  the  wild  scram- 
h\e  for  wealth  by  Spanish  adventurers  about  that  time  and 
the  over-running  of  the  country  from  Santa  Fe  north  and 
northwest  into  Kansas  and  Colorado  would  leave  the  im- 
pression that  it  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that  some  of  these  ex- 
peditions came  into  Wyoming  and  went  even  farther  north. 
The  Franciscan  Friars  never  tired  of  talking  about  cities 
of  fabulous  wealth  which  were  located,  they  said,  near  the 
great  mountains.  These,  they  claimed,  contained  store- 
"houses,  filled  with  precious  metals,  in  such  quantities  as 
were  never  known  before.  I  can  readily  understand  that 
these  Franciscan  Friars  were  anxious  to  spread  their  re- 
ligious teachings  among  these  strange  people,  who  were 
reputed  to  be  possessed  of  great  wealth  but  destitute  of 
religion.  The  sword  of  the  Spanish  conqueror  and  the 
Cross  of  Christ  had  for  a  century  been  carried  into  new 
provinces  to  the  south  of  us  and  the  people  subjugated, 
duly  robbed,  often  murdered  and  christianized,  according 
to  true  Spanish  civilization.  These  are  the  claims  made 
by  the  nation  which  Columbus  taught  the  art  of  discover- 
ing new  worlds,  and  who  rewarded  his  services  by  sending 


24  History  of  Wyommg. 

him  home  in  chains  when  he  was  no  longer  needed.  Jn 
support  of  the  Spanish  claims,  of  having  sent  expedition* 
into  the  northwest  as  far  as  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri 
and  having  taken  back  rich  furs  and  gold,  I  will  group 
together  a  few  of  the  evidences  of  Spanish  occupation  of 
the  country.  When  the  American  trappers  came  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  reached  the  Seeds-Ke-dee  River, 
they  were  told  that  the  Spaniards  had  lived  on  this  stream 
It  was  therefore  promptly  called  by  the  trappers  Spanish 
River  (Green  River).  There  is  evidence  that  the  Indian* 
had  a  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  people.  Lewis  and  Clark, 
in  passing  through  the  country  at  the  head  of  the  Missouri, 
found  Spanish  saddles  and  bridles  in  use  among  the  Indians- 
It  is  a  fact  known  to  all  writers  who  have  made  investi- 
gation among  the  Indians  that  they  acquired  the  horse  from 
the  same  source.  Washington  Irving,  in  his  Astoria,  in 
speaking  of  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest,  says  on  page  164 
"The  Spaniards  changed  the  whole  character  and  habits 
of  the  Indians  when  they  brought  the  horse  among  them." 
I  have  sometimes  thought  that  it  was  not  impossible 
that  the  Indians  may  have  learned  from  the  Spaniards  the 
art  of  horse  stealing.  The  student  of  history  will,  upon 
reflection,  discover  quite  a  number  of  Spanish  peculiarities 
among  some  of  our  Rocky  Mountain  Indians.  In  some  in- 
stances it  is  possible  that  the  Spaniards  are  in  no  way 
responsible  for  the  evidences  of  civilization  among  our  In- 
dian tribes  and  yet  they  lay  claim  to  this  distinction.  Lewis 
and  Clark  describe  the  Mandans  as  the  most  civilized  tribe 
they  found  in  their  travels.  Their  domestic  habits  were 
nearer  those  of  white  people,  they  lived  in  permanent  vil- 
lages, slept  on  bedsteads  with  buffalo  robes  for  mattresses,, 
pillows  and  blankets,  and  cultivated  the  corn,  squashes  and 
pumpkins  upon  which  they  lived.  Many  of  them  were  re- 
markable for  the  whiteness  of  their  skin  and  the  light  colo^ 
of  their  hair.  Vaughn  says  that  they  always  received  the 
w^hites  with  graceful  and  dignified  hospitality,  and  that  a 
stranger  in  a  Mandan  village  is  first  struck  with  the  dif- 
ferent shades  of  complexion,  and  various  colors  of  hair,. 


Spanish  Occupation.  25 

which  he  sees  in  the  crowd  about  him,  and  is  at  once  almost 
disposed  to  exclaim  that  ''these  are  not  Indians!"  There 
are  a  great  many  people  whose  complexions  appear  as  light 
as  half  breeds,  and,  among  the  women  particularly,  there 
are  many  whose  skins  are  almost  white,  with  the  most  pleas- 
ing symmetry  and  proportion  of  features,  with  hazel,  gray,, 
and  blue  eyes,  mildness  and  sweetness  of  expression  and 
remarkable  modesty  of  demeanor,  which  render  them  ex- 
ceedingly pleasing  and  beautiful. 

Mr.  Catlin,  who  visited  this  tribe  about  the  year  1831 
says  that  they  are  acquainted  with  the  Mosaic  account  of 
the  deluge  and  that  they  have  an  annual  religious  ceremony 
which  is  fixed  at  a  date  when  the  willow  is  in  full  leaf  and 
that  this  ceremony  refers  to  their  traditional  history  of  the 
flood,  which  they  in  some  way  or  other  have  received  and 
endeavor  to  perpetuate  by  vividly  impressing  it  on  the  minds 
of  the  whole  nation.  He  adds,  that  this  is  not  surprising, 
as  in  the  vicinity  of  almost  every  Indian  tribe  there  is 
some  high  mountain  where  they  insist  upon  it  the  "big 
canoe"  landed;  but  that  these  people  should  hold  annual 
celebrations  of  the  event,  and  the  season  should  be  decided 
by  such  circumstances  as  the  full  leaf  of  the  willow,  i» 
truly  remarkable.  Their  tradition  is  that  the  twig  that 
the  bird  brought  home  was  a  willow  bough  and  had  full 
grown  leaves  upon  it,  and  the  bird  to  which  they  allude  is 
the  turtle  dove,  which  is  not  to  be  destroyed  or  harmed  by 
anyone,  and  even  their  dogs  are  trained  not  to  do  it  injury. 

Edward  Everett  Hale,  in  a  work  published  in  1854, 
called  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  in  commenting  on  the  annual 
religious  ceremony  of  the  Mandans,  says: 

''It  would  seem  from  these  traditions  that  these  people 
must  have  had  some  proximity  to  some  part  of  the  civilized 
world;  or  that  missionaries  or  others  have  been  formerly 
among  them  inculcating  the  Christian  religion  and  the 
Mosaic  account  of  the  flood,  which  is,  in  this  and  some  other 
respects,  decidedly  different  from  the  theory  which  most  of 
the  aborigines  have  regarding  that  event.  This  vague  re- 
semblance, however,  to  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  deluge. 


26  History  of  Wyoming, 

seems  to  be  the  only  token  that  has  been  observed  of  any 
knowledge  of  any  of  the  Christian  Scriptures.  Now,  Modoo 
and  his  colony  were  men  trained  in  the  Christianity  of  their 
day  and  took  with  them,  doubtless,  Christian  ministers,  and 
the  symbols  of  the  Christian  faith." 

I  think  that  Lewis  and  Clark,  Vaughn  and  Catlin  have 
produced  sufficient  evidence  to  prove  there  was  white  blood 
in  the  Mandan  tribe.  If  it  did  not  come  from  the  Spaniards, 
where  did  it  come  from?  I  admit  that  so  far,  I  have  been 
unable  to  show  Spanish  occupation  of  the  upper  Missouri 
and  yet  the  evidence  adduced  bears  on  the  subject.  I  know 
that  it  has  been  claimed  that  the  Mandans  were  of  Welsh 
origin,  but  that  is  a  tradition  more  than  a  thousand  years 
old.  The  story  goes  that  Modoc  sailed  away  with  his  Welsh 
colony  from  his  native  country  with  ten  ships  loaded  with 
his  people  more  than  six  hundred  years  before  Columbus 
discovered  America,  and  that  they  probably  came  to  this 
country.  When  Lewis  and  Clark  told  their  story  of  the 
Mandans  Southey  wrote  his  poem  "Modoc,"  and  in  a  note 
claimed  that  there  was  strong  evidence  that  the  Wales 
adventurers  reached  America  and  that  their  posterity 
dwelt  on  the  Missouri.  In  another  edition  of  his  work,  pub- 
lished in  1815,  he  adds  another  note  in  which  he  says : 

"That  country  has  now  been  fully  explored,  and,  where- 
ever  Modoc  may  have  settled,  it  is  now  certain  that  no  Welsh 
Indians  are  to  be  found  upon  any  branches  of  the  Missouri."' 

The  Spaniards  in  the  south  were  the  first  to  attempt 
expeditions  from  the  east  to  the  west.  The  French  followed 
closely  after  them.  It  is  said  that  La  Hontan  made  a  trip  up 
the  Long  River,  meaning  of  course  the  Missouri,  in  1688  and 
made  a  deer  skin  map  of  the  country,  showing  the  moun- 
tains and  a  river  beyond  which  flowed  into  a  great  salt  lake. 
La  Hontan  certainly  told  a  good  story  and  some  of  it  was 
true.  The  mountains  and  the  great  salt  lake  remain  today 
as  proof  of  the  correctness  of  the  deer  skin  map.  He  did  not 
take  with  him  friars  or  missionaries  and,  for  that  reason, 
church  people  discredited  his  discoveries.  He  speaks  of 
having  found  a  people  near  the  mountains  who  resembled 


Spanish  Occupation.  27 

the  Spaniards.  They  were  clothed,  and  he  said,  had  thick, 
bushy  beards.  Among  the  clergy  who  denounced  La  Hontan 
was  a  learned  priest  named  Babe.  La  Hontan  may  have 
imagined  all  these  things  he  told  but  in  the  light  of  what 
followed  after,  the  world  must  say  that  he  spoke  the  truth 
and  that  this  over-zealous  priest  was  ignorant  beyond  meas- 
ure. If  the  mountains  and  lake  were  pointed  out,  and  he 
spoke  correctly  about  these,  why  may  it  not  be  true  that  he 
met  these  people  whom  he  thought  were  Spaniards? 

In  Strayhorn's  Handbook  of  Wyoming,  published  in 
1877,  are  the  following  items  of  interest  which  bear  upon 
the  subject  of  Spanish  occupation  of  the  Northwest: 

*' Although  the  Genoese  navigator  had  no  idea  of  enrich- 
ing himself  by  his  perilous  launch,  in  1492,  he  at  least  hoped 
that  the  coffers  of  Ferdinand  and  his  queen  would  be  re- 
plenished by  the  wealth  of  new  possessions.  But  most  of 
his  companions  were  adventurers  in  quest  of  gold  and  glory, 
reckless  and  oftentimes  cruel  to  brutality.  The  missionaries 
who  accompanied  him  were  Franciscan  friars,  whose  zeal 
for  the  conversion  of  the  savages  was  only  surpassed  by  the 
thirst  of  their  companions  in  bucklers  for  gold.  Thus  a  relig- 
ious zeal,  which  teaches  its  votaries  to  despise  riches  on 
earth  and  lay  up  treasures  elsewhere,  and  a  most  avaricious 
desire  for  wealth  on  the  part  of  these  adventurers,  went 
hand  in  hand  exploring  the  southern  part  of  North  Amer- 
ica more  than  three  centuries  ago." 

Four  survivors  of  the  ill-fated  Spanish  expedition  to 
Florida,  in  1528,  bravely  made  their  way  westward  across 
the  Mississippi,  traversed  those  sections  now  known  as  the 
commonwealths  of  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  and 
finally  reached  the  Gulf  of  California.  Reappearing  to 
former  friends  after  several  years  of  absence,  they  occa- 
sioned no  little  astonishment.  Their  glowing  accounts  of 
the  kingdoms,  cities  and  towns  they  had  passed  through, 
and  the  barbaric  wealth  and  splendor  they  had  witnessed, 
excited  and  fascinated  their  listeners  to  such  a  degree  that 
an  Italian  friar  named  Mark  determined  to  visit  the  country. 
He  induced  one  of  these  four  men,  a  negro  named  Stephen, 


28  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  return,  and  boldly  penetrated  the  wilderness  until  he 
came  within  sight  of  the  city  of  Cibola,  a  location  not  made 
plain  by  early  chroniclers.  Here  the  venturesome  friar  and 
his  companion  were  attacked  by  natives,  and  in  the  fight,  the 
negro  was  killed,  leaving  the  isolated  explorer  only  the  al- 
ternative of  swiftly  retracing  his  steps. 

Friar  Mark  did  not  abandon  his  project,  however,  and 
in  1540,  he  induced  the  chieftain  Coronado  to  head  an  ex- 
pedition to  Cibola,  stimulating  the  new  adventurers  by 
richly  colored  tales  of  the  vast  riches  and  entrancing  beauty 
of  the  place.  Other  Franciscans  accompanied  the  expedi- 
tion. Finally  Cibola  was  reached,  but  not  so  the  reputed 
wealth,  for  the  place  proved  a  barren  prize.  The  friar  was 
overwhelmed  with  reproaches,  and  returning  to  the  coast 
soon  died. 

But  enchanting  tradition  whispered  that  there  were 
other  cities  of  untold  wealth  farther  in  the  interior,  and 
Coronado  pushed  on.  He  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  near  the 
present  town  of  Santa  Fe  and  pushed  northward  to  the 
Arkansas,  but  still  failed  to  find  the  golden  cities.  True, 
he  encountered  numbers  of  small  Indian  villages,  but  for- 
tune was  no  nearer  than  when  he  started  from  the  sunny 
shores  of  the  southwestern  gulf.  Growing  thoroughly  dis- 
couraged, after  a  two  years'  search,  Coronado  returned, 
leaving  two  zealous  friars,  however,  at  Indian  villages 
along  the  Rio  Grande. 

The  fame  of  the  supposed  rich  cities  had  now  reached 
the  City  of  Mexico  and  Tampico,  and  an  expedition  in  quest 
of  them  started  from  the  latter  place  in  1542.  During  the 
march  northward  an  Indian  village  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Rio  Grande  was  named  Sante  Fe  (holy  faith),  and  became 
the  base  of  future  explorations.  The  two  missionaries  left 
behind  in  this  vicinity  by  Coronado  had  already  suffered 
death  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  From  this  time  forward 
there  were  alternate  successes  upon  the  part  of  the  Span- 
iards in  establishing  missions  in  New  Mexico  and  of  the 
savages  destroying  them.    The  rich  cities  to  the  northward 


Spanish  Occupation.  29 

were  yet  undiscovered,  although  little  doubt  prevailed  as 
to  their  existence. 

During  the  progress  of  the  Mexican  war,  in  1846,  a 
highly  educated  Mexican  padre,  named  Ortiz,  was  captured 
near  El  Paso  in  the  act  of  bearing  dispatches  to  his  country- 
men south  of  the  Rio  Grande.  While  a  prisoner  in  the  hands 
of  General  Stephen  W.  Kearney's  followers,  he  volunteered 
the  statement  to  different  American  army  officers  that  the 
Spaniards  had  early  in  the  seventeenth  century  obtained  a 
footing  in  the  mountainous  region  some  seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred miles  north  of  Santa  Fe,  but  still  south  of  the  great 
muddy  river  (the  Missouri) ;  that  they  had  built  stone  houses 
and  arastras,  and  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  had  sent 
trains  to  the  south  laden  with  gold  and  rich  furs.  About 
1650,  however,  the  savages  of  the  region  commenced  a  whole- 
sale massacre  of  these  pioneers,  and  all  were  swept  away 
as  far  south  as  Santa  Fe.  Ortiz  had  in  his  possession  an 
old  Spanish  book,  written  late  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
describing  all  of  the  country  between  the  Rio  Grande  and  the 
Missouri,  and  also  containing  statements  verifying  those 
volunteered  by  himself,  to  the  effect  that  the  ruins  of  these 
settlements  existed  in  the  northwest,  and  that  great  canals 
and  other  auxiliaries  to  mining  had  been  there  constructed. 

At  intervals  of  many  years  following,  reckless  adven- 
turers risked  their  lives  to  reach  the  northern  land  of  prom- 
ise, but  these  never  returned  after  crossing  the  Arkansas. 
As  late  as  1781,  a  small  expedition,  accompanied  by  Jesuit 
missionaries,  left  Santa  Fe  and  penetrated  the  great  north- 
western plains,  but  there  is  no  account  of  the  return  of  any 
of  the  party. 

These  facts  become  especially  interesting  in  connec- 
tion with  the  developments  of  American  explorers  in  our 
own  time.  Members  of  General  Connor's  Big  Horn  expe- 
dition of  1865,  now  residing  in  Cheyenne,  vouch  for  the 
statement  then  made  that  ruins  of  stone  houses,  evidently 
more  than  a  century  old,  were  found  near  the  shores  of  the 
beautiful  Lake  de  Smet,  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Big  Horn 
Mountains.    In  1866,  the  remains  of  an  old  Spanish  arastra 


30  History  of  Wyoming. 

— a  quartz  crushing  implement — were  found  in  the  same 
region,  at  a  point  about  fifty  miles  southwest  of  Fort  Phil 
Kearney.  Ruins  of  stone  houses  and  fortifications  were 
also  discovered  by  Colonel  Mills'  expedition  in  the  Big  Horn 
country  as  late  as  the  fall  of  1874.  Montana  miners  who 
were  driven  by  the  Indians  from  the  Rosebud  Mountains^ 
east  of  Fort  C.  F.  Smith,  where  they  were  prospecting  in 
1866,  reported  that  there  was  evidence  that  mining  had  been 
extensively  carried  on,  on  some  of  the  bars  there,  a  long 
time  previous  to  their  visit.  They  found  traces  of  iron  toola 
which  had  been  devoured  by  rust,  the  line  of  a  former  ditch 
to  convey  water  upon  the  bars  and  some  other  indications, 
which  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Spanish  adventurer* 
alluded  to  had  not  only  obtained  a  footing  in  the  region,, 
but  had  perished  there  while  in  the  realization  of  their  wild- 
est dreams. 

It  is  stated  as  a  fact,  capable  of  verification,  that  there 
is  now  a  map  in  the  archives  of  Paris,  prepared  by  Jesuita 
as  early  as  1792,  which  contains  a  correct  topographical 
sketch  of  the  Black  Hills  and  Big  Horn  Mountains,  and  that 
both  are  marked  as  auriferous  regions;  but  from  whence 
the  information  was  derived  is  more  than  can  be  definitely 
ascertained.  Certain  it  is,  however,  that  missionaries  and 
gold  seekers  visited  portions  of  the  present  States  of  Wyo- 
ming and  Montana,  in  search  of  souls  and  the  royal  metals,. 
during  the  last  century." 

In  commenting  on  Mr.  Strayhorn's  last  paragraph, 
Hubert  Howe  Bancroft,  in  Volume  XXV  of  his  history, 
says  that  there  is  nothing  true  in  this  statement;  that  the 
Spaniards  had  all  they  could  do  to  hold  their  own  in  New 
Mexico,  during  the  seventeenth  century,  without  ventur- 
ing 800  miles  into  the  wilderness  among  the  Indians.  There 
were  no  such  expeditions  as  represented,  although  in  order 
to  secure  grants  of  land  or  patents  of  nobility  Spanish  ad- 
venturers related  such  stories  to  the  king.  Further  on,  he 
says:  ''Some  coloring  has  been  given  to  the  story  by  the  dis- 
covery, 1865,  of  what  appeared  to  be  the  stone  foundations  of 
houses,  and  what  might  pass  for  an  ancient  arastra  on  the 


Spanish  Occupation.  31 

head  waters  of  Powder  River  and  about  Smet  Lake. 
But  if  we  explore  the  past  critically  we  shall  find  that 
at  some  period  anterior  to  the  history  of  the  country,  and 
perhaps  contemporaneous  with  the  Cliff-dwellers  of  Colo- 
rado, a  people  to  whom  the  present  tribes  of  redmen  were  as 
little  known  as  the  Caucasian  was  at  a  later  period  to  these^ 
had  their  habitations  here.  Of  their  presence  the  traces  are 
distinct,  their  relics  being  found  chiefly  in  the  country  about 
the  head  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  in  the  Big  Horn  and  Wind 
River  valleys.  They  consist  of  steatite  vessels,  bowl-shaped, 
and  neatly  finished,  stone  lance  heads,  knives  and  scrapers, 
and  sinkers  for  fishing  lines  made  of  volcanic  sandstone,  or 
of  green-veined  marble.  The  workmanship  of  these  ar- 
ticles is  different  from  any  found  on  the  Pacific  or  Atlantic 
coasts,  and  unlike  any  in  use  among  the  present  native 
tribes  inhabiting  Montana  and  Wyoming.  Other  remains 
point  to  a  scarcity  of  timber  in  the  past  in  that  part  of  the 
mountains  where  timber  is  now  plentiful,  the  driveways  for 
game  being  constructed  of  stone  instead  of  wood,  and  the 
occurrence  of  small,  circular  enclosures  of  stone  seeming 
to  indicate  that,  if  not  the  foundations  of  houses,  they  were 
used  for  covers  from  which  to  shoot  game.  Heaps  of  bones, 
tools,  ornaments,  weapons,  burial  cairns,  and  mining  shafts 
are  among  the  proofs  of  their  presence.  At  what  period 
they  disappeared  and  recent  tribes  took  their  place  is 
among  the  silent  secrets  which  the  past  refuses  to  disclose. 
The  debris  of  ages  covers  the  silent  witnesses  of  their  exist- 
ence, which  patient  research  is  only  now  bringing  to  light, 
and  to  them  I  should  refer  the  stone  ruins  accredited  to 
Spanish  occupation," 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Bancroft  does  not  explain  the 
traces  of  iron  tools  which  had  been  devoured  by  rust.  Many 
people  in  Wyoming  even  at  this  day  have  seen  such  ancient 
relics  and  no  one  can  claim  that  a  race  contempora- 
neous with  the  Cliff-dwellers  possessed  iron  implements. 
These  belonged  to  white  men  and  their  presence  must  be 
accounted  for,  as  they  are  too  numerous  to  be  brushed  aside. 
The  whole  Wind  River,  Big  Horn  and  Yellowstone  districts 


32  History  of  Wyoming. 

are  full  of  these  relics,  and  a  close  examination  of  them  will 
convince  any  ordinary  man  that  they  have  been  in  the 
ground  two  or  three  hundred  years.  White  men  brought 
them  into  the  country,  without  a  doubt,  but  unfortunately 
for  those  who  hold  to  former  Spanish  occupation  there  is 
no  proof  that  these  people  were  the  owners  of  these  iron 
implements.  The  most  that  can  be  said  on  this  subject,  from 
the  evidence  before  us,  is  that  the  country  of  which  we  have 
spoken  was  inhabited  by  white  men  a  long  time  ago;  prob- 
ably in  the  seventeenth  century.  They  mined,  they  tilled 
the  soil,  and  it  necessarily  follows  that  they  built  domiciles, 
which  undoubtedly  were  of  stone  or  had  stone  foundations. 
I  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to  leave  this  subject  in  an 
unsettled  condition,  but  some  future  historian  will  un- 
doubtedly solve  the  vexed  question.  I  trust  that  enough 
has  been  shown  in  this  chapter  to  induce  further  research. 
I  must  of  necessity  leave  my  readers  to  draw  their  own  con- 
clusions from  the  evidence  which  has  been  presented. 


French  Canadian  Explorations.  33 


CHAPTER     III. 

FRENCH  CANADIAN  EXPLORATIONS. 

The  De  la  Verendryes  Lead  an  Expedition  From  Canada  to  the 
Headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  Across  to  the  Missouri  into  the 
Yellowstone  and  Wind  River  Countries — Turned  Back  by  the 
Shoshones  Who  Persuade  the  Explorers  that  They  will  be 
Killed  by  the  Sioux  at  South  Pass — Eleven  Years  Spent  in 
the  Wilderness — Return  to  Montreal — Second  Expedition  is 
Prevented  by  the  Death  of  De  la  Verendrye — Unprincipled 
Politicians  Rob  the  De  la  Verendrye  Family  and  Get  Their 
Hands  in  the  Coffers  of  the  King — Fur  Trade  Under  English 
Ownership  of  Canada— American  Revolution  Leads  to  Great 
Changes  in  the  Fur  Trade. 

The  French  Canadians  discovered  and  developed  the  fur 
trade  of  North  America.  They  trapped  along  the  great 
rivers  of  Canada  almost  from  the  first  occupation  of  the 
country  by  the  French.  They  taught  the  Indians  the  com- 
mercial value  of  the  skins  of  all  fur-bearing  animals,  and 
they  also  instructed  them  as  to  the  seasons  when  these 
animals  were  to  be  caught  to  insure  the  quality  of  the  furs 
in  the  markets.  These  French  Canadians  were  an  easy- 
going, jovial  set  of  fellows;  were  more  inclined  to  trapping 
and  trading  than  they  were  to  other  occupations.  They 
made  friends  of  the  Indians,  treating  the  children  of  the 
forest  with  great  fairness  and  kindness,  and  the  result  was 
the  French  were  allowed  free  navigation  of  the  rivers  as 
far  to  the  north  as  they  chose  to  go.  The  business  of  trap- 
ping and  trading  grew  to  be  extensive  and  highly  profitable, 
and  thus  encouraged  a  peculiar  civilization  spread  itself 
along  the  great  water-ways  of  the  wilderness,  around  the 
Great  Lakes,  Erie,  Huron,  Ontario,  Michigan,  and  as  far 
north  as  the  Great  Slave  Lake.  Expeditions  were  sent  out 
with  canoes  loaded  with  merchandise  designed  for  the  In- 
dian trade.  These  on  their  return  were  laden  with  peltries 
which  found  a  ready  market  in  Montreal.     After  a  time 

-(3) 


34  History  of  Wyoming. 

large  capital  was  employed  in  the  business,  wMch  was 
managed  by  men  of  ability.  These  sent  out  expeditions  and 
gave  employment  to  an  army  of  voyageurs,  trappers,  hunters 
and  men-of-all-work.  Establishments  were  founded  in  the 
interior,  where  Indians  were  invited  to  come  and  trade.  The 
men  who  managed  these  trading  posts  were,  we  are  told, 
"hail  fellows  well  met'' on  all  occasions,and  the  profits  of  the 
business  enabled  them  to  pursue  a  liberal  policy  and  befriend 
the  Indians.  These  establishments  not  only  employed 
trappers  on  contract  for  a  term  of  years,  but  bought  furs  of 
independent  trappers  as  well  as  the  Indians.  The  founding 
of  these  trading  posts  in  the  far-off  wilderness  weaned  the 
trappers  of  the  desire  to  return  to  their  homes  and  many  of 
them  became  permanent  residents  and  founded  families  by 
marrying  the  daughters  of  Indian  tribes. 

Following  the  traders  who  organized  the  great  expe- 
ditions about  the  Lakes  and  beyond,  and  established  posts, 
was  the  Catholic  missionary,  who  labored  among  the  In- 
dians. These  religious  enthusiasts  endeavored  to  persuade 
the  trappers  to  legally  marry  their  Indian  wives,  but  the 
good  fathers  were  not  always  successful  in  inducing  the 
reckless  hunters  to  consider  marriage  a  sacrament.  They 
preferred  to  have  the  bonds  of  matrimony  as  little  binding 
as  possible,  so  they  might,  if  occasion  required,  throw  off 
the  matrimonial  yoke  and  marry  into  another  tribe.  The 
Canadian  voyageurs,  as  well  as  most  of  the  trappers,  were 
devout  Catholics  and  were  willing  to  confess  themselves 
to  the  priest  at  stated  intervals,  but  they  gave  the  good 
fathers  to  understand  that  they  did  not  consider  marriage 
with  a  squaw  a  legal  or  binding  obligation.  The  Indians 
were  much  more  interested  in  religious  matters  than  were 
the  white  men.  An  Indian  believes  in  what  he  calls  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  a  hereafter,  which  he  designates  as  the 
Happy  Hunting  Grounds.  The  good  fathers  thought  they 
saw  an  opportunity  to  greatly  benefit  the  redmen  and  for  a 
time  made  some  headway,  but  the  introduction  of  spirit- 
ous  liquors  among  the  natives,  to  a  large  extent  destroyed 


1478510 

French  Canadian  Explorations.  35 

the  influence  of  the  priests,  but  it  can  be  said  for  them  that 
they  made  an  honest  effort  to  benefit  the  savages. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  more  peopled  the  wilderness 
with  a  half-breed  population,  and  these  in  turn  became 
trappers  and  voyageurs.  A  singular  result  is  related  regard- 
ing the  offspring  of  these  marriages.  For  the  most  part 
the  children  were  inferior  in  character  to  both  the  white 
and  the  red  race.  It  seemed  that  they  partook  of  all  the 
vices  of  both  the  French  and  the  Indians  and  retained  none 
of  the  virtues.  They  were  for  the  most  part  indolent,  ignor- 
ant and  superstitious,  and  yet  they  trapped  and  hunted  and 
added  to  the  business  of  the  fur  trader.  The  conditions  I 
have  related  gave  the  French  great  influence  over  the  savage 
tribes  and  resulted  later  in  Indian  depredations  on  the 
English  settlements  along  the  Canadian  borders.  The  sav- 
ages were  easily  persuaded  to  hostility  and  later  became 
allies  of  the  French  in  their  wars  against  the  English. 

The  French  merchants  of  Montreal  grew  rich  out  of 
the  trade  in  peltries.  The  successful  methods  adopted  by 
the  trappers  and  traders  resulted  after  a  time  in  the  de- 
struction of  fur-bearing  animals  throughout  Canada  and 
the  tributary  streams  of  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  west  and 
soon  everything  pointed  to  the  early  collapse  of  the  great 
industry.  The  demand  for  furs  was  at  its  highest  point. 
London,  Paris  and  all  the  great  cities  of  Europe  sent  in 
large  orders  and  the  question  of  supply  to  meet  this  demand 
became  an  important  one  to  the  French  merchants  of  Mon- 
treal. Far-seeing  business  men  began  to  discuss  measures 
which  should  ward  off  the  evil  threatened.  These  condi- 
tions stimulated  a  desire  to  penetrate  the  interior  of  the 
great  West  for  the  purpose  of  securing  new  fields  for  the 
trapper.  Public  attention,  once  turned  in  this  direction, 
was  followed  after  a  time  by  practical  action  on  the  part 
of  men  who  possessed  a  turn  of  mind  for  exploration,  and 
these  proposed  an  expedition  into  the  interior  of  the  conti- 
nent. Finally  a  bolder  class  of  merchants  came  to  the  front 
and  offered  capital  to  explore  the  unknown  wilderness  which 
lay  between  Canada  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  thus  meet  the 


36  History  of  Wyoming. 

demand  for  new  trapping  grounds  and  supply  of  the  fur 
market.  In  every  great  emergency  which  demands  a  leader 
suited  to  the  requirements  of  the  occasion,  the  man  for  the 
place  appears  at  the  right  time.  The  leader  in  this  instance 
was  an  educated  Frenchman  of  noble  birth  who  had  inter- 
ested himself  in  the  study  of  the  exploring  expeditions  which 
had  from  time  to  time  visited  the  Pacific  coast.  He  had  one 
hobby,  and  that  was  the  planting  of  a  colony  at  some  suit- 
able place  on  the  west  side  of  the  continent  and  the  building 
up  there  of  a  commercial  city  which  should  monopolize  all 
the  Indian  trade  of  the  territory  west  of  the  great  moun- 
tains. His  theory  was  that  commercial  relations  could  be 
entered  into  with  native  tribes  and  through  the  fur  indus- 
try large  wealth  accumulated  by  the  colonists.  His  plan 
included  a  great  supply  point  at  or  near  the  west  coast  and 
trading  posts  in  the  interior.  Practical  business  men  at  first 
were  slow  to  comprehend  the  colossal  scheme,  but  the  con- 
ditions which  I  have  related  favored  the  plan.  The  man 
referred  to  was  Sieur  de  la  Verendrye,  who  was  earnestly 
supported  by  his  eldest  son.  Chevalier  de  la  Verendrye; 
also  his  two  younger  sons.  Associated  with  them  was 
Pierre  Gauthier  de  Varennes.  After  discussing  the  sub- 
ject in  all  its  phases  it  was  finally  decided  to  outfit  an  ex- 
ploring party  to  traverse  the  Great  Lakes  northwest,  cross- 
ing to  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi,  thence  west  again 
to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri  and  search  for  a  gateway 
through  the  "Stony  Mountain." 

Sieur  de  la  Verendrye  and  Pierre  Gauthier  de  Varennes 
w^ere  dealers  in  furs  and  skins  and  had  been  located  on 
Lake  Nepigon  since  1728.  Four  years  later  the  latter  went 
to  Quebec  to  consult  the  governor  and  other  oflScials  on  the 
subject  of  explorations  to  the  west.  It  was  no  new  idea  with 
him,  as  he  had  talked  it  over  with  many  persons  of  education 
and  had  become,  so  to  speak,  wrapped  up  in  the  subject. 
He  was  an  enthusiast,  it  is  true,  but  he  was  given  to  deep 
thought,  earnest  study  and  withal  was  capable  of  concen- 
tration of  effort  and  singleness  of  purpose.  These  qual- 
ifications enabled  him  to  undertake  great  enterprises  and 


French  Canadian  Explorations.  37 

to  carry  them  through  successfully.  The  govenior  of  the 
province  was  the  Marquis  de  Beauharnais.  As  soon  as  Ver- 
endrye  spoke  to  him  of  the  expedition  and  his  plan  for  car- 
rying it  out,  he  without  hesitation  gave  his  indorsement. 
Montreal  merchants  were  to  furnish  the  funds  to  equip  the 
party  and  goods  to  trade  with  the  natives  for  furs.  The 
expedition  was  to  go  west  and  find  a  river  that  flowed  into 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  In  the  year  1733,  all  things  feeing  in 
readiness,  De  la  Verendrye  received  his  instructions  to  take 
possesion,  in  the  name  of  the  King  of  France,  of  such  coun- 
tries as  he  should  discover.  His  first  point  was  Lake  Supe- 
rior for  which  place  he  embarked  with  a  fleet  of  canoes, 
taking  with  him  a  missionary,  Pierre  Messager.  He  estab- 
lished forts  as  he  proceeded  from  point  to  point,  gradually 
working  his  way  westward. 

From  each  of  these  forts  he  sent  out  expeditions  to  ex- 
amine  the  country.  One  of  these,  in  charge  of  one  of  hi« 
younger  sons,  met  with  disaster.  The  entire  party,  including 
young  Verendrye  and  twenty  men,  were  killed  by  a  war 
party  of  Sioux.  The  examination  of  the  territory  which 
he  passed  through  required  time,  and  it  was  not  until  1738 
that  he  reached  the  Mandan  country,  where  he  erected  Foit 
La  Reine  on  the  Assiniboine,  completing  the  work  in  Octo- 
ber of  that  year.  The  following  season  an  expedition  wcis 
sent  up  the  Missouri,  but  did  not  reach  the  Yellowstone 
until  1742.  This  expedition  was  in  charge  of  De  la  Verea- 
drye's  eldest  son,  who  found  on  this  trip  the  great  moun- 
tains through  which  he  could  find  no  practical  route.  I  find 
in  the  first  volume  of  the  Montana  Historical  Society  a  coHk- 
munication  written  by  Granville  Stuart  which  throws  some 
light  on  the  trail  of  the  explorers.  He  says  that  the  expe- 
dition traveled  from  Fort  La  Reine,  on  the  Assiniboine,  up 
Mouse  River  and  across  to  the  Missouri,  which  he  touched 
just  below  where  since  was  built  Fort  Berthold,  thence  they 
ascended  the  Missouri  to  the  gates  of  the  mountains  near 
Helena,  Montana.  The  first  of  January,  1743,  found  them 
on  these  mountains  whence  they  passed  up  Deep  or  Saiith 
River,  crossed  to  the  head  of  the  Mussel  Shell,  and  tVn 


38  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  the  Yellowstone,  which  they  crossed  and  ascended  Pryor 
Fork  and  passed  through  Pryor  Gap  to  the  Stinking  River, 
crossing  which  they  continued  south  to  Wind  River,  where 
the  natives  told  them  of  Green  River  over  the  mountains, 
and  of  the  armed  bands  of  Sioux  waiting  at  the  pass  to  slay 
anyone  who  should  come  from  the  land  of  their  hereditary 
foes,  the  Shoshones,  Hence  the  explorers  turned  back  and 
reached  the  mission  in  May,  1744. 

I  find  nowhere  any  particulars  in  regard  to  this  party 
which  reached  the  Big  Wind  River.  They  went  south  from 
the  Stinking  Water  and  must  have  gone  to  the  Wind  River 
valley.  Chevalier  de  la  Verendrye  says  that  the  natives  he 
met  were  of  the  Shoshone  tribe.  I  think  that  Mr.  Stuart 
makes  a  mistake  in  regard  to  the  river  the  natives  men- 
tioned. The  explorers  were  looking  for  a  river  flowing  to 
the  west.  The  only  stream  flowing  in  that  direction  was 
Snake  River,  and  as  the  Shoshones  were  well  acquainted 
with  it,  they  must  have  mentioned  it.  Green  River,  the 
Indians  well  knew,  flowed  to  the  south.  The  Verendryes 
returned  to  Montreal  in  the  fall  of  1744,  having  been  eleven 
years  in  the  wilderness.  The  enterprise  was  a  financial  fail- 
ure, but  sound  business  men  admitted  that  if  it  had  gone 
forward  and  the  Pacific  coast  reached  it  would  have  been 
a  great  success.  Unfortunately  De  la  Verendrye  had  spent 
his  entire  fortune  in  the  enterprise,  but  friends  came  to  his 
aid  and  ofl'ered  additional  capital,  but  at  this  point  it  was 
proposed  to  send  out  the  next  expedition  at  the  expense  of 
the  government,  but  before  anything  was  accomplished  De 
la  Verendrye  was  taken  sick  and  on  December  6,  1749,  he 
died.  His  eldest  son  claimed  the  right  to  continm^  the  dis- 
coveries, but  an  association  was  formed  to  carry  out  his 
father's  plans  and  he  was  ignored.  It  was  the  old  story — 
men  who  lacked  the  brains  to  originate  plans  for  themselves 
stood  ready  to  rob  Verendrye's  family,  and  they  did  it  under 
sanction  of  the  government.  This  is  the  fate  of  a  pio- 
neer. Columbus  suffered  in  this  way  and  thousands  of 
other  pioneers  since  his  time,  including  not  a  few  in  Wyo- 
ming.    It  should  be  stated  here  that  the  king  graciously 


French  Canadian  Explorations.  39 

recognized  De  la  Verendrye's  services  by  conferring  upon 
him  the  empty  honor  of  the  Order  of  St.  Louis,  and  this  was 
all  he  possessed  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  new  combi- 
nation was  entirely  political,  that  is,  made  up  of  politicians 
— Jonquiere,  the  new  governor;  Breard,  the  comptroller  of 
marine;  Capt.  Lamarque  de  Marian,  Le  Gardeur,  De  St. 
Pierre  and  others  equally  incompetent  for  a  great  undertak- 
"ing.  Here  was  a  chance  to  get  their  hands  in  the  public 
treasury  and  they  helped  themselves  right  royally.  It  is  said 
of  them  that  the}'  divided  large  spoils  among  themselves, 
the  governor  receiving  for  his  share  300,000  francs.  They 
did  attempt  an  expedition  and  reached  the  base  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  where  they  in  1752  built  Fort  Jonquiere;  but 
this  is  all,  the  time  being  spent  trading  with  the  natives 
and  making  fortunes  for  themselves. 

Chevalier  de  la  Verendrye  was  the  first  white  man  to 
discover  the  Yellowstone,  unless  we  concede  the  occupa- 
tion of  the  country  by  the  Spaniards  a  century  before. 
Educated  French  Canadians  believe  that  he  named  it  Roche 
Jaune,  which  in  English  means  yellow  rock,  and  this  dur> 
ing  this  century  has  been  written  Yellowstone,  but  Capt. 
Chittenden  in  his  scholarly  work  on  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park  holds  a  different  view  and  says  there  is  no 
doubt  but  that  the  name  is  of  Indian  origin  and  that  it 
comes  from  the  yellow  rock  which  is  conspicuous  along  the 
banks  of  this  river.  He  sums  up  his  investigations  in  this 
language:  ''Going  back,  then,  to  this  obscure  fountain- 
head,  the  original  designation  is  found  to  have  been  Mi-tsi- 
a-da-zi,  Rock  Yellow  River;  and  this  in  the  French  tongue, 
became  Roche  Jaune  and  Pierre  Jaune ;  and  in  English,  Yel- 
low Rock  and  Yellow  Stone.  Established  usage  now  writes 
it  Yellowstone.''^ 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  unfortunate  death  of  De  la  Ver- 
endrye the  French  in  all  probability  would  have  been  the 
first  explorers  to  cross  the  Rocky  Mounains  and  as  it  was 
they  undoubtedly  gave  the  idea  to  Capt.  Jonathan  Carver, 
who,  as  I  explain  elsewhere,  projected  a  journey  across  the 
continent  somewhere  between  the  43rd   and  46th    degrees 


40  History  of  Wyoming. 

north  latitude  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  was  certainly  the 
plan  of  Sieur  de  la  Verendrye,  which  was  attempted  more 
than  thirty  years  before  Carver's  time. 

It  is  a  great  misfortune  that  the  full  records  of  the 
Sieur  de  la  Verendrye's  exploration  party  were  not  pre- 
served, and  I  was  in  hopes  of  being  able  to  secure  additional 
facts  regarding  the  De  la  Verendryes  and  their  expedition 
from  the  private  libraries  of  old  French  families  in  Mon- 
treal, but  the  effort  resulted  in  procuring  very  little  more 
than  was  known  before.  What  is  here  given  is  reliable,  and 
yet  all  reports  are  confined  to  the  meagre  facts.  Of  the 
expedition,  it  may  be  said  that  it  was  a  grand  undertakings 
and  entirely  feasible  even  at  that  day.  Had  the  second 
expedition  not  been  interfered  with  by  the  death  of  De  la 
Verendrye  there  would  have  been  no  doubt  of  its  suc- 
cess, for  the  reason  that  Chevalier  de  la  Verendrye  had 
already  found  the  one  easy  pass  through  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  He  was  almost  within  sight  of  South  Pass, 
the  natural  gateway  to  the  Pacific.  The  government 
expeditions  which  reached  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains in  1752,  as  I  have  heretofore  explained,  fell  by  the 
weight  of  boodlers  who  were  hanging  on  and  using  it 
for  their  own  selfish  purposes.  A  scandal  was  finally 
raised  and  the  king  did  the  only  thing  he  could  do — with- 
drew government  aid,  and  this  brought  the  expedition  to 
an  end.  The  war  between  France  and  England  soon  fol- 
lowed and  Canada  became  the  theatre  of  military  events, 
which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  French  and  the  ceding 
of  Canada  to  the  English  by  the  treaty  of  Paris  in  1763. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  I  will  relate  what  followed 
the  British  occupation  of  Canada  as  relates  to  the  fnr  trade. 
In  consequence  of  the  acquisition,  the  fur  trade  received  a 
severe  check.  English  merchants  located  in  Montreal  and 
at  once  attempted  to  control  all  lines  of  trade,  and  the  fur 
business  with  the  others.  They  organized  with  large  ag- 
gregations of  capital  and  sent  men  out  with  a  full  comple- 
ment of  trappers,  but  it  was  found  diflBcult  to  win  the  con- 
fidence of  the  Indians  and  for  some  vears  the  business 


French  Canadian  Explorations.  41 

languished.  Finally  the  trade  fell  into  the  hands  of  Scotch 
merchants,  and  these  recruited  their  kinsmen.  The  de- 
scendants of  feudal  lords  who  had  reigned  over  Scot- 
tish clans  took  kindly  to  the  occupation  and  they  built  up 
at  the  trading  posts  a  sort  of  imitation  of  the  baronial  halls 
of  their  ancestors.  The  French,  the  half-breeds  and  the 
Indians  were  at  last  induced  to  co-operate  in  the  develop- 
ment of  a  traflic  that  was  highly  profitable  to  all  concerned. 
The  business  was  managed  by  securing  government  conces- 
sions and  the  organization  of  a  system  which  gave  promo- 
tion to  faithful  employes.  Great  fortunes  were  built  up 
and  the  Northwestern  Fur  Company  became  one  of  the 
great  corporations  of  the  world.  Hardy  Scotchmen  pene- 
trated the  wilds  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  French  Can- 
adians traversed  every  stream  north  as  far  as  the  Arctic 
Circle.  Under  the  protection  of  the  British  government 
this  company  became  aggressive  and  insolent.  Montreal 
was  the  great  gathering  point  of  rich  peltries  and  London 
was  the  distributing  center  from  which  these  goods  were 
supplied  to  the  world.  At  Montreal  there  grew  up  an  aristoc- 
racy composed  of  personages  connected  with  the  fur  trade. 
The  Northwest  Company  from  that  center  excercised  lordly 
sway  over  a  vast  extent  of  country  throughout  which  their 
operations  were  conducted.  Their  numerous  posts  were 
distributed  far  and  wide,  on  interior  lakes  and  rivers,  and 
at  great  distances  from  each  other,  and  employed  from  2,000 
to  2,500  men.  An  annual  meeting  was  held  at  Fort  William, 
on  Lake  Superior,  the  central  trading  post  of  the  company. 
At  this  annual  gathering  appeared  representatives  from  all 
the  other  trading  posts  and  the  occasion  was  the  signal  for 
banquets  and  jollity.  The  banqueting  was  conducted  after 
the  manner  of  those  in  Scotland  in  feudal  times.  The  voy- 
ageurs  and  Indians  did  not  appear  in  the  banquet  hall,  but 
were  generously  fed  for  a  season  at  the  expense  of  the  com- 
pany. Liquors  of  all  kinds,  including  costly  wines,  were 
served  at  these  banquets  and  many  of  these  distinguished 
representatives  were  found  under  the  table  at  the  close  of 
each  of  the  daily  festivities.    This  was  at  a  period  when  hard 


42  History  of  Wyoming. 

drinking  was  the  rule  and  when  Bacchanalian  songs  were 
sung,  toasts  given  and  speeches  made.  Every  man  at  the 
table  drank  until  he  convinced  himself  that  he  was  indeed 
a  British  noble  or  a  Scottish  lord,  or  at  least  the  chieftain  of 
a  Highland  clan.  These  were  the  golden  days  of  the  fur 
trade.  But  all  this  show  had  its  effect  on  other  enterpris- 
ing men  with  capital.  As  has  been  explained,  the  Northwest 
Company  confined  its  operations  largely  to  northern  lati- 
tudes. A  new  British  company  was  organized  to  operate 
further  south  and  west.  Accordingly  the  Mackinaw  Com- 
pany took  possession  of  the  territory  around  Green  Bay, 
Fox  Kiver,  Wisconsin  River  and  some  of  the  tributaries  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  an  occasional  party  of  trappers  operated 
along  a  portion  of  the  Missouri  River.  The  government  of 
the  United  States  saw  with  anxiety  the  encroachments  of 
these  companies  and  an  effort  was  made  in  1796  to  induce 
American  merchants  to  enter  the  fur  trade  and,  as  it  were, 
head  off  Great  Britain  in  her  invasion  of  the  West,  but 
nothing  immediately  came  of  it.  About  this  time  another 
powerful  British  fur  company,  the  Hudson  Bay,  which  had 
been  organized  in  the  year  1670,  pushed  its  operations  into 
American  territory.  These  rival  companies  all  secured  busi- 
ness, but  there  was  often  great  loss  through  competition, 
and  sometimes  personal  encounters  between  the  trappers  of 
rival  organizations. 

The  war  between  England  and  America  was  destined 
to  bring  about  great  changes  in  this  lucrative  trade.  John 
Jacob  Astor,  who  shortly  after  the  revolution  became  a 
large  shipper  of  furs,  which  he  purchased  in  Montreal,  saw 
an  opportunity,  which  I  explain  in  another  chapter,  of  di- 
verting this  trade  into  American  channels.  The  agitation 
of  the  subject  by  Mr.  Astor  induced  a  number  of  Americans 
to  organize  expeditions  to  enter  the  far  west  and  claim  the 
territory  and  the  business  within  the  American  borders. 
This  business  was  carried  on  and  developed  by  fearless 
Americans,  and  St.  Louis  and  New  York  became  centers 
for  the  encouragement  of  the  fur  trade.  The  American 
trapper  won  renown  by  his  fearless  exploits  in  the  great 


The  First  American  Explorers .  43 

West.  Then  came  another  era  in  the  traffic  which  resulted 
in  the  developing  of  American  leaders  who  won  fortunes 
as  well  as  fame  by  their  exploits  in  the  mountains.  But 
all  this  is  explained  further  on  in  the  early  history  of  Wyo- 
ming. 

CHAPTER     IV.' 

THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   EXPLORERS. 

History  of  the  Western  Course  of  Empire— Thomas  Jefferson  Be- 
comes THE  Leader  and  Finally  Succeeds  in  His  Cherished 
Scheme  of  Sending  an  Expedition  up  the  Headwaters  of  the 
Missouri  to  Search  for  a  Gateway  through  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains—The Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition— They  Winter  at  the 
Mandan  Village  on  the  Upper  Missouri  in  1804 — In  1805  Spend 
the  Winter  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Columbia — Return  to  St. 
Louis  in  1806. 

The  departure  of  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1804  to  explore 
the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri  and  mark  out  a  highway 
across  the  Rocky  Mountains,  down  the  Columbia,  begins 
a  new  era  in  the  civilization  of  the  great  Northwest.  There 
were  plenty  of  enterprising  Americans  ready  to  undertake 
the  trip  but  up  to  that  time  our  government  had  felt  too 
poor  to  i)ay  the  expense  incident  to  such  an  expedition. 
Thomas  Jefferson,  in  1786,  while  minister  to  France,  had 
become  interested  in  the  subject  of  exploring  the  West,  and 
when  he  returned  to  America  in  1789  his  mind  was  filled  to 
the  utmost  limit  with  the  importance  of  pushing  explora- 
tion up  the  Missouri  and  beyond.  The  dark  continent  lay 
to  the  west  and  northwest  and  its  mountains  were  alike 
unknown  to  the  geographer  of  that  day.  This  subject  be- 
came almost  a  hobby  with  this  broad-minded  American 
statesman.  In  1792,  the  record  shows  that  Mr.  Jefferson 
urged  the  American  Philosophical  Society  to  find  some 
competent  person  to  ascend  the  Missouri,  cross  the  great 
mountains,  and  follow  the  nearest  river  to  the  sea.  As  such 
an  undertaking  would  be  expensive,  the  future  president 
suggested  that  a  subscription  be  taken   up  among  such 


44  History  of  Wyoming. 

people  as  might  be  interested  in  what  he  believed  to  be  an 
important  subject.  This  proposition  was  discussed  at  the 
time  in  the  newspapers  of  the  country  and  was  talked  over 
by  the  scientific  men  of  that  period.  It  was  not  a  new  idea, 
for  in  1763  Capt.  Jonathan  Carver,  who  had  been  in  the 
British  provincial  army,  proposed  a  journey  across  the  conti- 
nent somewhere  between  the  43rd  and  46th  degrees  of  north 
latitude  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  His  was  a  grand  plan  and  he 
urged  it  with  spirit  and  determination.  He  had  studied  the 
fur  trade  in  all  its  bearings  and  in  his  mind  he  saw  clearly 
that  new  scources  of  wealth  would  be  opened  up  and  that 
in  the  natural  course  of  events  a  great  city  would  spring 
up  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  had  in  his  mind  a  northwest 
passage  between  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  also 
a  more  direct  route  to  China  and  the  English  settlements 
in  the  East  Indies.  Capt.  Carver  was  a  man  of  ability  and 
influence  and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  his  undertak- 
ing was  one  that  required  great  capital  he  succeeded  in 
inducing  Eichward  Whitworth,  a  member  of  the  British 
Parliament  and  a  man  of  great  wealth,  to  join  him  in  the 
enterprise.  Their  plans  were  made  on  a  most  liberal  scale 
and  worked  out  in  every  detail.  They  were  to  go  up  the 
Missouri  with  sixty  men,  cross  the  backbone  of  the  conti- 
nent and  discover  some  navigable  stream  that  flowed  to  the 
west.  Here  they  were  to  build  boats  and  accomplish  all  and 
more  than  was  done  by  Lewis  and  Clark,  thirty  years  later. 
They  were  to  build  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  unknown 
river  which  they  expected  to  find,  and  construct  sailing 
vessels  in  which  to  make  voyages  of  discovery  along  the 
Pacific  coast.  Capt.  Carver  having  secured  the  necessary 
capital  and  the  plan  having  the  sanction  of  the  British  gov- 
ernment and  the  promise  of  grants  and  franchises  in  the 
new  country  to  be  discovered,  all  things  were  in  readiness 
for  sending  out  the  expedition  when  the  war  of  the  revolu- 
tion interfered  and  put  a  stop  to  the  undertaking.  Thomas 
Jefferson  was  aware  of  this  projected  expedition,  as  he  had 
talked  it  over  with  John  Ledyard  of  Connecticut,  who  was. 
a  member  of  Capt.  Cook's  company  when  he  made  his  cele- 


The  First  American  Explorer's.  45 

brated  voyage  to  the  Pacific.  Ledyard  had  a  scheme  of  his 
own  in  which  he  tried  to  interest  Jefferson  in  Paris  in  1786. 
He  had  the  reputation  of  being  reckless  and  impecunious, 
"but  with  a  brilliant  mind  and  winning  manners.  This  man 
Ledyard  was  certainly  a  wonderful  character,  if  we  may 
believe  his  biography  in  Sparks  and  Bulfinch's  ''Oregon." 
Evidently  Thomas  Jefferson  possessed  some  admiration  for 
the  man  but  at  the  same  time  he  noted  his  hare-brained  and 
impracticable  schemes.  Nevertheless  Ledyard  succeeded 
in  firing  him  with  enthusiasm  and  sending  him  home  from 
France  with  his  mind  filled  with  the  importance  of  discover- 
ies to  be  made  by  penetrating  the  continent.  Jefferson  had 
also  the  experience  of  Sir  Alexander  McKenzie  in  his  desire 
to  explore  the  continent.  McKenzie  had  made  a  successful 
trip  from  ocean  to  ocean  in  1793,  reaching  the  Pacific  in 
latitude  52°  20'  48''.  This  was  several  degrees  north  of  the 
route  Jefferson  had  in  his  mind.  At  this  time  numerous 
vessels  were  trading  along  the  Pacific  coast  and  not  a  few 
of  them  were  American.  The  fur  trade  was  at  its  height. 
The  Russian  government  had  acquired  Alaska  and  England 
had  secured  a  foothold  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Capt.  Cook 
had  discovered  vast  quantities  of  sea  otter  and  had  found 
a  remunerative  market  in  China  for  the  furs.  Among  the 
American  ships  trading  on  the  Pacific  coast  was  the  Colum- 
bia of  Boston.  Her  commander  was  Capt.  Robert  Gray,  a 
navigator  of  experience  and  with  a  turn  of  mind  to  include 
discovery  as  well  as  profitable  trade  in  his  voyages.  About 
the  time  Jefferson  was  urging  the  American  Philosophical 
Society  to  find  some  one  to  follow  the  source  of  the  Missouri, 
discover  a  gateway  through  the  mountains  and  find  a  river 
flowing  toward  the  Pacific,  Capt.  Gray  on  his  voyage  that 
same  year  discovered  the  mouth  of  a  large  river  in  latitude 
46°  19"  north.  He  entered  the  mouth  of  the  river  May  11, 
1792,  with  some  difficulty  and  came  to  anchor  in  a  broad 
bay.  Capt.  Gray  seeing  a  village  on  the  shore  sent  off  a  boat, 
the  crew  of  w^hich  visited  the  village;  this  turned  out  to 
be  a  tribe  of  Indians.  The  natives  fled  on  approach,  but 
were  persuaded  after  a  time    to  return.    This  was  the  first 


46  History  of  Wyoming. 

time  that  these  untutored  savages  had  beheld  a  white  man 
or  a  ship.  The  latter  they  regarded  as  a  floating  island  or 
some  monster  of  the  deep  and  they  thought  the  white  men 
when  they  first  came  ashore  were  cannibals  who  would 
destroy  the  country  and  devour  the  inhabitants.  On  this 
same  voyoge  Capt.  Gray  fell  in  with  Vancouver,  the  dis- 
coverer, and  furnished  him  a  chart  of  the  bay  and  river  he 
had  discovered  and  urged  him  to  ascend  the  stream  and 
determine  how  far  it  was  navigable.  This  Vancouver  did 
and  ascended  the  river  more  than  a  hundred  miles  and  dis- 
covered a  mountain  covered  with  snow  which  he  named 
Mt.  Hood.  When  Capt.  Gray  returned  to  Boston  and  an- 
nounced his  discovery  of  a  river  that  flowed  to  the  west  from 
mid-continent,  it  created  much  interest  not  only  in  scien- 
tific circles  but  among  statesmen,  and  Thomas  Jefferson 
became  more  enthsiastic  than  ever.  The  river  was  named 
after  the  ship  Columbia  and  the  inlet  after  Capt.  Gray. 
It  is  not  my  purpose  to  write  a  history  of  the  discoveries 
made  on  the  Pacific  coast  ,  only  in  so  far  as  they  directly 
bear  on  the  discoveries  made  a  few  years  later  by  men  in- 
terested in  bridging  the  distance  between  the  Columbia  and 
the  Missouri.  The  facts  I  have  given  are  drawn  from  Car- 
ver's Travels,  Irving's  Astoria,  Perkins'  Annals  of  the  West, 
Bulfinch's  Oregon,  Spark's  Life  of  Ledyard,  Bancroft's  His- 
tory of  the  Northwest,  M.  P.  Langford's  works  and  other 
writers. 

The  conditions  that  existed  west  of  the  Allegheny 
Mountains  should  here  be  mentioned.  After  the  Revolu- 
tion colonization  set  in  beyond  the  mountains  mentioned, 
around  the  Great  Lakes,  along  the  Ohio  and  down  the  Miss- 
issippi, and  year  by  year  this  movement  continued.  These 
new  settlers  had  made  their  homes  beyond  civilization  and 
far  from  the  reach  of  protection  from  the  States  or  the 
government.  Those  along  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  had 
but  a  single  object  in  view,  and  that  was  the  outlet  for 
their  produce  down  the  great  "Father  of  Waters"  via  New 
Orleans  to  the  sea.  They  had  not  counted  on  the  dangers 
from  the  savage  tribes  or  the  unfriendliness  of  the  Spanish 


TJie  First  American  Explorers.  47 

authorities.  They  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  dream  of 
wealth  from  which  they  were  to  be  rudely  awakened.  The 
savages  came  first  to  disturb  their  peace  and  tranquillity. 
The  Indians  ran  off  their  stock,  burned  their  homes  and 
scalped  the  scattered  settlers.  The  Mississippi  River,  which 
was  to  be  such  a  great  advantage  to  them,  was  worse  than 
useless,  for  the  Spaniards  at  New  Orleans,  in  spite  of 
treaties,  refused  to  afford  them  shipping  privileges  or  ex- 
tend to  them  the  common  courtesies,  simply  because  they 
were  Americans.  These  pioneers  were  truly  in  a  lament- 
able condition  and  they  felt  keenly  their  helplessness,  and 
just  here  the  Spaniards  saw  their  opportunity  to  spread 
dissatisfaction  among  the  settlers  and  not  a  few  of  them 
listened  to  the  proposition  that  the  country  should  become 
a  part  of  the  province  of  Louisiana,  but  as  if  to  hold  this 
movement  in  check,  a  party  arose  in  favor  of  organizing  an 
independent  government,  a  new  Republic  free  from  the 
United  States,  which  latter  they  said  was  too  weak  to  pro- 
tect them  against  Indians  or  to  enforce  its  treaty  with  Spain 
for  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi.  Others  there  were 
who  desired  the  United  States  to  declare  war  with  Spain 
and  seize  New  Orleans.  The  wisdom  of  our  government  at 
this  time  is  clearly  apparent.  A  formidable  army  was  sent 
against  the  Indians,  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne  at  its  head. 
The  savages  were  put  to  rout  wherever  encountered  and 
were  only  saved  from  total  annihilation  by  suing  for  peace. 
This  successful  war  against  the  Indian  tribes  produced  great 
rejoicing  among  the  settlers  of  the  then  Far  West.  The 
president,  who  had  not  been  unmindful  of  the  conditions 
that  prevailed  among  the  western  settlers,  had  wisely  af- 
forded this  relief  and  the  successful  termination  of  the 
Indian  war  roused  a  spirit  of  loyalty.  The  settlers  saw 
that  the  newly-formed  Federal  Union  was  not  only  a  power 
to  be  respected  but  to  be  proud  of.  The  new  nation  had 
gone  beyond  the  borders  of  the  thirteen  original  States 
and  extended  protection  to  a  large  territory  by  treating 
it  as  accretions,  and  thus  Washington  and  his  successors 
solved  the  problem  of  how  the  United  States  should  acquire, 


48  History  of  Wyoming. 

protect  and  develop  the  great  West.  President  Adams  con- 
templated an  expedition  against  New  Orleans,  the  Spanish 
Intendant  at  that  point  having  issued  an  order  prohibiting 
New  Orleans  as  a  place  of  deposit  by  Americans.  This 
order  set  the  West  in  a  blaze  and  the  expedition  was  the 
all-absorbing  topic  among  the  people.  President  Adams 
put  on  a  bold  front  and  ordered  three  regiments  of  regulars 
to  the  Ohio  River.  The  order  also  included  the  getting  in 
readiness  of  a  sufficient  number  of  boats  to  transport  the 
troops  down  the  river.  At  the  same  time  twelve  new  regi- 
ments were  recruited  and  it  looked  very  much  as  if  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain  was  inevitable,  and 
would  certainly  have  followed  if  the  term  of  office  of  Mr. 
Adams  had  not  been  too  near  its  close  to  admit  of  a  ter- 
mination of  the  proposed  war  during  his  administration. 
The  following  year  Thomas  Jefferson  was  elected  presi- 
dent and  the  same  year  the  Louisiana  domain  became  the 
property  of  France. 

Resuming  the  thread  of  events  leading  to  the  explora- 
tion of  the  West,  it  should  be  here  mentioned  that  at  the 
time  the  expedition  up  the  Missouri  was  talked  of  Capt. 
Meriwether  Lewis,  of  the  LTnited  States  army,  made  known 
his  desire  to  command  the  proposed  expedition,  and  after 
making  his  application  to  the  American  Philosophical 
Society  and  having  it  rejected,  sought  out  Mr.  Jefferson 
and  the  two  men  had  long  conferences  and  Jefferson  un- 
folded his  plan  to  Capt.  Lewis.  To  those  who  live  in  Wyo- 
ming today  and  have  a  knowledge  of  the  dangers  and  dif- 
ficulties of  such  a  journey,  the  plan  of  Thomas  Jefferson 
looks  like  the  weakest  folly.  He  explained  to  Capt.  Lewis 
that  the  man  who  should  undertake  the  journey  must  have 
"but  a  single  companion  in  order  not  to  alarm  the  natives 
to  be  encountered  on  the  way.  Fortunately  this  plan  was 
not  adopted,  as  it  was  pronounced  impracticable  by  men 
who  had  experience  in  this  line  of  work.  Capt.  Lewis  did 
not  take  kindly  to  Mr.  Jefferson's  idea  and  in  return  sub- 
mitted one  of  his  own  which  included  a  force  sufficient  to 
command  the  respect  of  savage  tribes  and  to  be  able  to 


The  First  American  Explorers.  49 

manage  canoes,  transport  supplies,  hunt  game  and  con- 
struct cabins  for  the  use  of  the  party  during  a  winter  which 
must  be  spent  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Mr.  Jefferson  listened 
attentively  to  this  man  of  military  experience  and  evidently 
was  won  over  by  the  captain.  An  intimacy  sprang  up  be- 
tween the  two  men,  and  a  friendship  was  cemented  which 
lasted  through  life.  In  the  year  1801,  when  Jefferson  was 
inaugurated,  Capt.  Lewis  became  his  private  secretary. 
The  president  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  exploring  expedition. 
The  new  Republic  was  fast  making  history.  Robert  Living- 
ston, who  was  our  minister  to  France,  negotiated  a  treaty 
in  1803  with  Napoleon  for  the  purchase  of  the  Louisiana 
domain,  |15,000,000  being  the  price  agreed  on.  This  pur- 
chase was  regarded  at  the  time  as  a  necessity  by  leading 
American  statesmen  of  all  parties.  This  same  year  Pres- 
ident Jefferson,  who  had  been  watching  the  course  of  events, 
saw  that  the  time  was  ripe  to  recommend  his  exploring 
expedition  and  he  accordingly  sent  to  Congress  a  special 
and  confidential  message  and  proposed  an  exploring  party 
be  sent  up  the  Missouri  in  accordance  with  the  plans  long 
talked  of.  Congress  acted  promptly,  giving  the  required 
authority  and  made  the  necessary  appropriation.  Capt. 
Lewis  of  course  received  the  appointment  and  was  to  com- 
mand the  expedition.  He  asked  for  an  assistant  and  the 
choice  fell  on  Lieut.  William  Clark  and  he  was  accordingly 
appointed. 

Never  was  expedition  started  under  more  favorable 
circumstances.  The  Louisiana  purchase  had  been  made 
public  about  the  1st  of  July,  ten  days  after  Capt. 
Lewis  had  received  his  instructions,  and  this  purchase  in- 
cluded a  portion  of  the  territory  to  be  explored.  The  people 
o^the  whole  country  were  anxious  to  know  the  character 
and  extent  of  our  western  possessions.  The  journals  of  the 
day  had  discussed  the  subject  of  the  expedition  with  an 
earnestness  that  betokened  the  interest  the  people  felt. 
Capt.  Lewis  was  regarded  by  President  Jefferson  as  the 
ideal  explorer  and  his  opinion  was  taken  up  by 
the  people  and  consequently  everything  that  pertained  to, 
-(3) 


$0  History  of  Wyoming. 

the  expedition  was  discussed  by  the  press  until  the  under- 
taking assumed  great  national  importance.  How  it  came 
about  that  Capt.  Lewis  permitted  the  name  of  Clark  to  ap- 
pear co-equal  with  his  own  has  never  been  explained  by  him 
or  anyone  else.  Lieut.  Clark  was  made  a  captain  for  the 
purposes  of  this  expedition  and  was  in  every  way  worthy 
of  his  associate.  He  was  brave,  untiring  and  cautious  and 
he  left  throughout  the  West  many  friends  among  the  sav- 
age tribes  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  Never  were  tw& 
men  better  fitted  for  a  great  undertaking,  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  carried  out  their  instructions  is  creditable 
to  them  as  explorers.  On  their  return  numerous  volumes 
appeared  giving  an  account  of  their  travels.  One  was  pub- 
lished in  Pittsburg  in  1808  and  republished  in  London. 
Another  was  published  in  Philadelphia  and  two  more  in 
London  in  1814-15. 

Capt.  Lewis  felt  the  weight  of  responsibility  placed 
upon  his  shoulders  and  he  at  once  fitted  himself  for  the  high 
calling  by  such  scientific  studies  as  to  enable  him  to  take 
astronomical  observations  and  to  make  a  report  of  the 
geography  of  the  route.  Congressional  action  had  been 
secured  on  January  18,  1803,  and  the  instructions  had  been 
signed  on  the  20th  of  June  following.  Capt.  Lewis  left 
Washington  July  5,  for  the  West  and  arriving  at  Pittsburg, 
where  his  outfit  for  the  expedition  was  presented  him. 
Here  also  he  received  his  instructions,  which  were  of  the 
most  comprehensive  character.  These  instructions  were 
written  by  President  Jefferson,  and  as  the^  form  the  foun- 
dation upon  which  was  builded  the  plan  of  all  explorations 
in  the  West,  I  give  them  in  full.  It  will  be  seen  that  they 
were  intended  for  Capt.  Lewis,  whom  he  held  responsible 
for  the  success  or  failure  of  the  expedition. 

"Your  situation  as  secretary  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States  has  made  you  familiar  with  the  objects  of  my 
confidential  message  of  January  18, 1803,  to  the  Legislature; 
you  have  seen  the  act  they  passed,  which,  though  expressed 
in  general  terms,  was  meant  to  sanction  those  objects,  and 
you  are  appointed  to  carry  them  into  execution.  Instru- 
ments for  ascertaining,  by  celestial  observations,  the  geog- 


The  First  American  Explorers.  51 

raphy  of  the  country  through  which  you  will  pass,  have  al- 
ready been  provided.  Light  articles  for  barter  and  trade 
among  the  Indians,  arms  for  your  attendants,  say  for  from 
ten  to  twelve  men,  boats,  tents  and  other  traveling  appara- 
tus, with  ammunition,  medicines,  surgical  instruments  and 
provisions,  you  will  have  prepared,  with  such  aids  as  the 
Secretary  of  War  can  yield  in  his  department,  and  from 
him  also  you  will  receive  authority  to  engage  among  our 
troops,  by  volunteer  agreement,  the  number  of  attendants, 
above  mentioned;  over  whom  you,  as  their  commanding 
oflScer,  are  invested  with  all  the  powers  the  laws  give  in 
such  a  case.  The  object  of  your  mission  is  to  explore  the 
Missouri  River,  and  such  principal  streams  of  it,  as,  by  its 
course  and  communication  with  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  whether  the  Columbia,  Oregon,  Colorado  or  any 
other  river,  may  offer  the  most  direct  and  practicable  water 
communication  across  the  continent,  for  the  purposes  of 
commerce.  The  intersecting  points  of  the  portage  between 
the  heads  of  the  Missouri  and  of  the  water  offering  the  best 
communication  with  the  Pacific  Ocean  should  also  be  fixed 
by  observation ;  and  the  course  of  that  water  to  the  ocean^ 
in  the  same  manner  as  that  of  the  Missouri.  Your  obser- 
vations are  to  be  taken  with  great  pains  and  accuracy,  to 
be  entered  distinctly  and  intelligently  for  others  as  well  as 
yourself;  to  comprehend  all  the  elements  necessary,  with  the 
aid  of  the  usual  tables,  to  fix  the  latitude  and  longitude  of 
the  places  at  which  they  were  taken;  and  are  to  be  ren- 
dered to  the  war  office,  for  the  purpose  of  having  the  cal- 
culations made  concurrently  by  proper  persons  within  the 
United  States.  Several  copies  of  these,  as  well  as  of  your 
other  notes,  should  be  made  at  leisure  times  and  put  into 
the  care  of  the  most  trustworthy  of  your  attendants  to 
guard,  by  multiplying  them  against  the  accidental  losses 
to  which  they  will  be  exposed.  A  further  guard  would  be, 
that  one  of  these  copies  be  on  the  circular  membranes  of 
the  paper  birch,  as  less  liable  to  injury  from  damp  than  com- 
mon paper.  The  commerce  which  may  be  carried  on  with 
the  people  inhabiting  the  line  you  will  pursue  renders  a 
knowledge  of  these  people  important.  You  will  therefore 
endeavor  to  make  yourself  acquainted,  so  far  as  a.  diligent 
pursuit  of  your  journey  will  admit,  with  the  names  of  the 
nations  and  their  numbers;  the  extent  and  limits  of  their 
possessions;  their  relations  with  other  tribes  or  natives; 
their  language,  traditions,  monuments;  their  ordinary  oc- 
cupations, in  agriculture,  fishing,  hunting,  war,  arts  and  the- 


5?  History  of  Wyoming. 

implements  for  these;  their  food,  clothing  and  domestic  ac- 
commodations; the  diseases  prevalent  among  them,  and  the 
remedies  they  use,  moral  and  physical  circumstances  which 
distinguish  them  from  tribes  we  know;  peculiarities  in  their 
laws,  customs  and  dispositions;  and  articles  of  commerce 
they  may  furnish,  and  to  what  extent.  And  considering 
the  interest  which  every  nation  has  in  extending  and 
strengthening  the  authority  of  reason  and  justice  among 
the  people  around  them,  it  will  be  useful  to  acquire  what 
knowledge  you  can  of  the  state  of  morality,  religion,  and 
information  among  them ;  as  it  may  better  enable  those  who 
may  endeavor  to  civilize  them  to  adopt  their  measures  to 
the  existing  notions  and  practices  of  those  on  whom  they 
are  to  operate.  Other  objects  worthy  of  notice  will  be  the 
soil  and  surface  of  the  country,  its  growth  and  vegetable 
productions,  especially  those  not  of  the  United  States;  the 
animals  of  the  country  generally,  and  especially  those  not 
known  in  the  United  States;  the  remains  and  accounts  of 
any  which  may  be  deemed  rare  or  extinct;  the  mineral 
productions  of  every  kind,  but  more  particularly  metals, 
limestone,  pit  coal  and  saltpetre ;  salines  and  mineral  waters, 
inoting  the  temperature  of  the  last  and  such  circumstances 
as  may  indicate  their  character;  volcanic  appearance,  cli- 
mate as  characterized  by  the  thermometer,  by  the  propor- 
tion of  rainy,  cloudy  and  clear  days;  by  lightning,  hail,  snow, 
ice;  by  the  access  and  recess  of  frost;  by  winds  prevailing 
at  different  seasons;  the  dates  at  which  particular  plants 
put  forth,  or  lose  their  flower  or  leaf;  times  of  appearance 
of  particular  birds,  reptiles  or  insects.  Although  your  route 
will  be  along  the  channel  of  the  Missouri,  yet  you  will  en- 
deavor to  inform  youself,  by  inquirj'^,  of  the  character  and 
■extent  of  the  country  watered  by  its  branches,  and  espec- 
ially on  its  southern  side.  The  North  River,  or  Rio  Bravo, 
which  runs  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  North  River, 
or  Rio  Colorado,  which  runs  into  the  Gulf  of  California, 
are  understood  to  be  the  principal  streams  heading  oppo- 
site to  the  waters  of  the  Missouri,  and  running  southwardly. 
Whether  the  dividing  lines  between  the  Missouri  and  them 
are  mountains  or  flat  lands,  what  are  their  distance  from 
the  Missouri,  the  character  of  the  intermediate  country,  and 
the  people  inhabiting  it,  are  worthy  of  particular  inquiry. 
'The  northern  waters  of  the  Missouri  are  less  to  be  inquired 
after,  because  they  have  been  ascertained  to  a  considerable 
extent,  and  are  still  in  the  course  of  ascertainment  by  Eng- 
7iish  traders  and  travelers:  but  if  you  can  learn  anything 


The  First  American  Explorers.  53; 

certain  of  the  most  northern  source  of  the  Mississippi,  and  of 
its  position,  relatively  to  the  Lake  of  Woods,  it  will  be  inter- 
esting to  us.  Some  accounts,  too,  of  the  Canadian  traders 
from  the  Mississippi,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Onisconsine  to 
where  it  strikes  the  Missouri,  and  of  the  soil  and  rivers  iit 
its  course.  In  all  your  intercourse  with  the  natives  treat 
them  in  the  most  friendly  and  conciliatory  manner  which 
their  own  conduct  will  admit;  allay  all  jealousies 
as  to  the  object  of  your  journey,  satisfy  them 
of  its  innocence;  make  them  acquainted  with  the 
position,  extent,  character,  peaceable  and  commercial  dis- 
position of  the  United  States,  of  our  Mish  to  be  nei<Tliborly 
and  friendly  and  useful  to  them,  and  of  our  disposition  to  a 
commercial  intercourse  with  them;  confer  with  them  un 
points  most  convenient  as  useful  emporium,  and  the  articles 
of  most  desirable  interchange  for  them  and  us.  If  a  few 
of  their  influential  chiefs,  within  a  practicable  distanc«\ 
wish  to  visit  us,  arrange  such  a  visit  with  them  and  furnish 
them  with  authority  to  call  on  our  officers  on  their  enter- 
ing the  United  States  to  have  them  conveyed  to  this  place  at 
the  public  expense.  If  any  of  them  should  wish  to  have 
some  of  their  young  people  brought  n]}  with  us,  and  taught 
such  arts  as  may  be  useful  to  them,  we  will  receive,  and 
take  care  of  them.  Such  a  mission,  whether  of  influential 
chiefs  or  of  young  people,  would  give  security  to  your  own 
party. 

"Carry  with  you  some  matter  of  the  kine-pox;  inform 
those  of  them  with  whom  you  may  be,  of  its  efficacy  as  a 
preservative  from  the  small-pox,  and  instruct  and  encour- 
age them  in  the  use  of  it.  This  may  be  especially  done 
wherever  you  may  winter.  As  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  see 
in  what  manner  you  will  be  received  by  those  people, 
whether  with  hospitality  or  hostility,  so  it  is  impossible  to 
prescribe  the  exact  degree  of  perseverance  which  you  are 
to  pursue  your  journey.  We  value  too  much  the  lives  of 
citizens  to  offer  them  to  probable  destruction.  Your  num- 
ber will  be  sufficient  to  secure  you  against  the  unauthor- 
ized opposition  of  individuals,  or  of  small  parties;  but  if  a 
superior  force,  authorized,  or  not  authorized,  by  a  nation, 
should  be  arrayed  against  your  further  passage  and  inflex- 
ibly determine  to  arrest  it,  you  must  decline  its  further  pur- 
suit and  return.  In  the  loss  of  yourselves  we  should  lose 
also  the  information  you  have  acquired.  By  returning  safe- 
ly with  that,  you  may  enable  us  to  renew  the  essay  with 
better  calculated   means.     To   vour   discretion,  therefore,. 


S4  History  of  Wyoming. 

must  be  left  the  degree  of  danger  you  may  risk  and  the  point 
at  which  you  should  decline,  only  saying  we  wish  you  to  err 
on  the  side  of  your  safety,  and  to  bring  back  your  party  safe, 
even  if  it  be  with  less  information.  As  far  up  the  Missouri, 
a^  far  as  the  white  settlements  extend,  an  intercourse  will 
probably  be  found  to  exist  between  them  and  the  Spanish 
posts  of  St.  Louis  opposite  Cahokia,  or  Saint  Genevieve 
opposite  Kaskaskia.  From  still  further  up  the  river  the 
traders  may  furnish  a  conveyance  for  letters.  Beyond  that 
you  may  perhaps  be  able  to  engage  Indians  to  bring  letters 
for  the  government  to  Cahokia  or  Kaskaskia,  on  promising 
them  that  they  shall  receive  such  special  compensation  as 
jou  shall  have  stipulated  with  them.  Avail  yourself  of 
these  means  to  communicate  to  us,  at  seasonable  intervals, 
a  copy  of  your  journal,  notes  and  observations  of  every  kind, 
putting  into  cipher  whatever  might  do  injury  if  betrayed. 
Should  you  reach  the  Pacific  Ocean,  inform  yourself  of  the 
circumstances  which  may  decide,  whether  the  furs  of  those 
parts  may  not  be  collected  advantageously  at  the  head  of 
the  Missouri  (convenient  as  is  supposed  to  the  waters  of  the 
-Colorado  and  Oregon  or  Columbia)  as  at  Nootka  Sound,  or 
any  other  point  of  that  coast;  and  that  trade  be  conse- 
quently conducted  through  the  Missouri  and  United  States 
more  beneficially  than  by  the  circumnavigation  now  prac- 
ticed. On  your  arrival  on  that  coast,  endeavor  to  learn 
if  there  be  any  port  within  your  reach  frequented  by  sea 
vessels  of  any  nation,  and  to  send  two  of  your 
trusted  people  back  by  sea,  in  such  way  as  shall 
appear  practicable,  with  a  copy  of  your  notes;  and 
should  you  be  of  opinion  that  the  return  of  your  party  by 
the  v/ay  they  went  will  be  eminently  dangerous,  then  ship 
the  whole  and  return  by  sea,  either  by  the  way  of  Cape 
Horn,  or  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  as  you  shall  be  able.  As 
you  will  be  without  money,  clothes,  or  provisions,  you  must 
endeavor  to  use  the  credit  of  the  United  States  to  obtain 
them;  for  which  purpose  open  letters  of  credit  shall  be 
furnished  you  anthorizing  you  to  draw  on  the  executive  of 
the  T'^nited  Stntes,  or  any  of  its  officers  in  any  part  of  the 
world  in  which  drafts  can  be  disposed  of,  and  to  apply  with 
onr  recommendations  to  the  consuls,  agents,  merchants,  or 
citizens  of  any  nation  with  which  we  have  intercourse,  as- 
suring them  in  our  name  that  any  aids  they  may  furnish 
you  shall  be  honorably  paid  and  on  demand.  Our  consuls 
Thomas  Hewes,  at  Batavia  in  Java;  William  Buchanan  in 
the  isles  of  France  and  Bourbon,  and  John  Elmslie  at  the 


The  First  American  Explorers.  55 

€ape  of  Good  Hope,  will  be  able  to  supply  your  necessities, 
by  drafts  on  us. 

'^Should  you  find  it  safe  to  return  by  the  way  you  go, 
after  sending  two  of  your  party  around  by  sea,  or  with  your 
whole  party,  if  no  conveyance  by  sea  can  be  found,  do  so; 
making  such  observations  on  your  return  as  may  serve  to 
supply,  correct  or  confirm  those  made  on  your  outward 
journey.  On  re-entering  the  United  States  and  reaching  a 
place  of  safety,  discharge  any  of  your  attendants  who  may 
desire  and  deserve  it,  procuring  for  them  immediate  pay- 
ment of  all  arrears  of  pay  and  clothing  which  may  have  ac- 
crued since  their  departure,  and  assure  them  that  they  shall 
be  recommended  to  the  liberality  of  the  Legislature  for  the 
grant  of  a  soldier's  portion  of  land  each  as  proposed  in  my 
message  to  Congress,  and  repair  yourself  with  your  papers 
to  the  seat  of  government.  To  provide  on  the  accident  of 
your  death  against  anarchy,  dispersion,  and  the  consequent 
danger  to  your  party  and  total  failure  of  the  enterprise  you 
are  hereby  authorized,  by  any  instrument  signed  or  written 
in  your  own  hand,  to  name  the  person  among  them  who  shall 
succeed  to  the  command  on  your  decease,  and  by  like  in- 
instruments  to  change  the  nomination  from  time  to  time 
as  further  experience  of  the  characters  accompanying  you 
shall  point  out  superior  fitness,  and  all  the  powers  and  au. 
thorities  given  to  yourself  are  in  the  event  of  your  death 
transferred  to  and  vested  in  the  successor  so  named,  with 
further  power  to  him  and  his  successors  in  like  manner  to 
name  each  his  successor,  who,  on  the  death  of  his  predeces- 
sor, shall  be  invested  with  all  the  powers  and  authorities 
given  to  yourself.  Given  under  my  hand  at  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, this  twentieth  day  of  June.  1803.  Thomas  Jefferson, 
President  of  the  United  States  of  America." 

Leaving  Pittsburg  ,the  party  proceeded  down  the  Ohio 
and  went  into  winter  quarters  at  the  mouth  of  Wood 
River  late  in  the  fall  of  1803.  Here  they  remained  until 
May  14,  1804,  and  on  the  16th  they  reached  St.  Charles,  a 
town  21  miles  up  the  Missouri.  On  June  1st  they  reached 
the  Osage  River,  133  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri. 
On  the  26th  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas,  340 
miles  form  the  Mississippi.  They  did  not  reach  the  River 
Platte  until  the  21st  of  July.  Capt.  Lewis  and  his  party 
spent  much  time  exploring  rivers  which  they  passed,  and 
in  visiting  the  various  tribes  of  Indians  encamped  along  the 


56  History  of  Wyoming. 

upper  Missouri.  On  October  27tli,  they  reached  the  village  of 
the  Mandans  and  after  being  royally  entertained  by  these 
Indians  for  several  days  they  proceeded  to  build  winter 
quarters  and  erect  a  fort  for  the  protection  of  the  party, 
which  they  called  Fort  Mandan.  The  winter  proved  very 
severe  and  the  party  suffered  greatly  with  the  cold.  They 
left  the  fort  on  April  7th  and  proceeded  onward  up  the  Mis- 
souri. At  the  same  time  seven  soldiers,  two  Frenchmen 
and  a  fur  trader  named  M.  Gravelines,  started  with  a  boat 
down  the  Missouri,  with  dispatches  for  President  Jefferson. 
Capt.  Meriwether  Lewis,  in  his  published  travels  (Lon- 
don, 1809),  says:  ''While  we  were  at  Fort  Mandan,  the 
Sioux  robbed  several  of  our  party  and  murdered  several  of 
the  Mandan  tribe  in  cold  blood  without  provocation,  while 
reposing  on  the  bosom  of  friendship.  On  hearing  of  this 
massacre,  Capt.  Clark  and  the  greater  part  of  us  volun- 
teered to  avenge  the  murder,  but  were  deterred  by  not 
receiving  succor  from  the  Mandan  warriors,  who  declined 
to  avenge  the  outrage  committed  upon  them.  Soon  after 
this  massacre  we  received  authentic  intelligence  that  the 
Sioux  had  it  in  contemplation  to  murder  us  in  the  spring; 
but  were  prevented  from  making  the  attack  by  our  threat- 
ening to  spread  the  small-pox,  with  all  its  horrors,  among 
them.  The  same  hour  which  witnessed  the  departure  of 
Graveline  for  St.  Louis,  also  saw  the  main  division  leave  Fort 
Mandan  for  the  Pacific  in  two  pirogues  and  six  canoes. 
This  division  comprised  thirty-three  persons,  the  names  of 
which  are  given  in  the  following  roster:  Capt.  Meriwether 
Lewis,  U.  S.  A.;  Capt.  William  Clark,  U.  S.  A.;  Sergeants 
John  Ordway,  Nathaniel  Pryor  and  Patrick  Gass;  privates 
William  Bratton,  John  Colter,  John  Collins,  Peter  Crusatte, 
Kobert  Frazier,  Keuben  Fields,  Joseph  Fields,  George  Gib- 
son, Silas  Goodrich.  Hugh  Hall,  Thomas  P.  Howard,  Jean 
Baptiste  La  Page,  Francis  Labiche,  Hugh  McNeal,  John 
Potts,  John  Shields,  George  Shannon,  John  B.  Thompson, 
William  Werner,  Alexander  Willard,  Richard  Windsor, 
Joseph  Whitehouse,  Peter  Wiser,  the  negro  servant  York, 
the  two  interpreters,  George  Drewyer  and  Toussaint  Cha- 


The  First  American  Explorers.  57 

boneau,  and  the  latter's  wife,  Sacajawea  with  her  pappoose. 
The  story  of  the  journeyings  of  this  party  is  thus  graphi- 
cally related  by  Major  Walker,  in  his  paper  on  early  explor- 
ations published  in  1879:  Pursuing  their  journey,  and  reach- 
ing the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  beyond  the  Three 
Thousand  Mile  Island  on  the  12th  of  August,  1805,  where, 
leaving  the  hidden  sources  of  the  Missouri  which  had  never 
yet  been  seen  by  civilized  man  and  following  a  descent  of 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  westward  they  reached  a 
handsome  bold  creek  of  cold,  clear  water,  where  they 
stopped  to  taste  for  the  first  time  the  waters  of  the  Columbia. 
Pursuing  their  tedious  way  on  foot,  transporting  their  goods 
on  Indian  packhorses,  at  times  so  scarce  of  food  as  to  be 
obliged  to  kill  horses  for  subsistence  and  to  purchase  Indian 
dogs  to  eat,  they  reached  the  Columbia  River  on  the  15th  of 
September,  and  on  the  7th  of  November  they  enjoyed  for  the 
first  time  the  delightful  prospect  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
Wintering  some  few  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Colum- 
bia River  among  the  Clatsop  Indians,  they  on  the  23rd  of 
March,  1806,  began  their  return,  and,  recrossing  the  moun- 
tains on  July  3rd,  the  party  divided,  Capt.  Lewis  going 
northward  to  strike  the  waters  of  the  Marias,  and  Capt. 
Clark  with  fifteen  men  and  fifty  horses,  set  off  to  the  south- 
east and  down  to  the  forks  of  tbe  Jefferson  where  the  boats 
and  merchandise  had  been  deposited  the  year  before.  Capt. 
Clark's  party  arriving  by  boats  and  on  horseback  at  the 
Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri,  this  party  again  divided  and 
Sergeant  Ordway  and  men  set  out  in  six  canoes  to  descend 
the  Missouri  while  Capt.  Clark  and  ten  men,  and  the  wife 
and  child  of  Chaboneau  proceeded  by  land,  with  fifty  horses, 
to  the  Yellowstone  River,  the  distance  traveled  by  Capt. 
Clark  from  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri  to  the  Yellow- 
stone  River  being  forty-eight  miles.  Capt.  Lewis  being 
joined  by  Sergeant  Ordway's  party  in  five  canoes  and  the 
white  pirogue  on  the  28th  of  July,  1806,  and  turning  loose 
all  their  horses,  embarked  on  the  river  and  proceeding  down 
the  Missouri  formed  a  junction  on  the  12th  day  of  August, 
thirty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  with  Capt. 


58  History  of  Wyoming. 

Clark  and  party,  who  had  come  down  the  river.  The  whole 
command  being  once  more  all  together  proceeded  down  the 
Missouri,  arriving  at  St.  Louis  on  the  23rd  of  September, 
1806."' 

Before  closing  the  Lewis  and  Clark  narrative  I  desire 
to  call  attention  to  two  men,  comprising  the  party,  John 
Colter  and  John  Potts,  as  their  names  will  appear  again  in 
the  history  of  Wyoming.  When  Lewis  and  Clark,  on  their 
return  trip,  reached  Fort  Mandan,  John  Colter  asked  to  be 
discharged  at  that  point  and  his  request  was  granted.  John 
Potts  kept  with  the  party  and  was  discharged  in  St.  Louis. 
In  1807  he  joined  the  Manuel  Lisa  trapping  expedition 
which  went  up  the  Missouri.  This  party  met  Colter  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Platte  when  he  was  on  his  return  to  St.  Louis. 
Lisa  urged  him  to  return  to  the  mountains  with  his  party 
and  thus  it  w^as  that  he  and  John  Potts  again  became  asso- 
ciates in  adventures  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  name  of 
Colter  has  become  famous  in  western  explorations  and  his 
deeds  of  daring  are  worthy  of  the  early  heroes  of  the  Stony 
Mountains.  The  chapter  I  devote  to  him  proves  that  he  is 
the  first  American  explorer  to  enter  Wyoming. 

After  the  expeditions  of  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1804  and 
Capt.  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike  in  1806,  no  further  official 
explorations  of  the  west  were  made  until  1819.  The  United 
States  Government  at  that  time  organized  an  expedition 
which  was  fitted  out  at  great  expense  and  provided  with 
military  officers  and  men  of  science.  Major  Stephen  H. 
Long  was  placed  in  command,  and  the  expedition  started 
from  Pittsburg,  May  30,  1819.  The  party  wintered  at  Coun- 
cil Bluffs  and  the  following  spring  explored  the  Platte  Val- 
ley ;  reaching  the  south  fork  of  this  river,  they  proceeded  up 
this  branch  and  pretty  generally  explored  the  country  which 
is  now  Colorado.  Long  and  his  scientific  associates  proved 
themselves  to  be  the  most  stupid  explorers  that  had  ever 
been  in  any  country.  They  were  not  only  stupid,  but  like 
most  men  of  this  class,  were  opinionated.  They  pronounced 
the  whole  country  between  the  39th  and  49th  parallels  a 
worthless  desert,  extending  for  500  miles  east  of  the  Rocky 


Tlie  First  American  Explorers.  5g 

Menntains.  The  strange  part  of  all  this  is  that  they  found 
innumerable  streams  flowing  from  the  mountains  over  these 
rast  plains,  and  the  water  courses  had  sufficient  fall 
cover  a  large  extent  of  territory.  Evidently  these  scientific 
-gentlemen  had  never  heard  of  irrigation,  although  it  had 
been  in  vogue  for  thousands  of  years.  The  stupidity  of 
Long  made  a  blotch  on  the  map  of  the  United  States.  After 
he  made  his  report  to  the  government,  all  that  portion  of  the 
country  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  a  point  near  the  Mis- 
souri river,  was  noted  on  the  map  as  the  Great  American 
Desert  and  this  misleading  statement  resulted  in  untold  in- 
jury to  the  West  and  kept  the  development  of  the  country 
back  for  half  a  century.  Major  Long's  explorations  were  of 
some  value,  it  is  true,  but  his  opinions  proved  him  to  be  a 
man  of  superficial  attainments.  That  country  marked 
^'Great  American  Desert"  on  the  map,  is  still  remembered 
by  all  persons  over  forty  years  old.  The  sandy,  worthless 
desert  now  contains  hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  best  culti- 
vated farms  in  the  United  States.  If  our  government  sent 
out  an  explorer  with  a  full  staff  of  scientific  assistants  who 
reported  the  country  as  worthless,  is  it  any  wonder  that  con- 
servative members  of  the  United  States  senate  and  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  should  argue  that  the  Rocky 
Mountain  country,  including  Oregon,  beyond  it,  was  not 
worth  possessing?  Fortunately,  Major  Long  and  his  stupid 
assistants  did  not  enter  the  Wyoming  country,  and  I  should 
not  have  referred  to  this  expedition  at  all  had  it  not  been 
for  the  blighting  effect  of  the  official  report. 

I  have  mentioned  the  successful  expeditions  of  Sir 
Alexander  McKenzie  in  1789-1793,  but  if  I  were  asked  if 
this  intrepid  explorer  was  the  first  to  cross  the  mountains 
to  the  Pacific,  I  should  be  obliged  in  all  fairness  to  answer 
"No."  Poets,  great  military  commanders,  as  well  as  ex- 
plorers, are  born  with  God-given  powers  in  their  particular 
line  of  work.  Even  among  savage  tribes,  history  shows 
that  great  leaders  come  to  the  front  with  full  developed 
powers.  They  are  not  numerous,  I  will  admit,  but  occa- 
sionally there  is  a  born  leader  in  these  tribes  who  in  Intel- 


6o  History  of  Wyoming. 

lect  compares  with  the  best  developed  white  men  of  the 
times.  They  may  be  called  warriors,  but  they  are  often 
statesmen.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  characters 
was  an  American  Indian — a  native  of  the  Mississippi  Valley 
belonging  to  the  Yazoo  tribe  of  Indians.  He  was  called  by 
the  French  L'lnterprete,  because  he  spoke  many  languages. 
He  had  for  years,  it  is  said,  wondered  from  whence  he  came, 
and  spent  much  time  in  trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  life. 
He  visited  neighboring  tribes  in  search  of  knowledge.  He 
found  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  and  then  turned  to  the 
westward  in  1745,  and  in  due  time  crossed  the  mountains 
at  or  about  the  place  Lewis  and  Clark  followed  more  than 
sixty  years  later.  He  finally  reached  the  sea,  and  when  he 
beheld  it  his  astonishment  knew  no  bounds.  In  telling  the 
story  to  M.  Le  Page  du  Pratz,  a  French  savant,  he  said: 
"When  I  saw  it  I  was  so  delighted  that  I  could  not  speak. 
My  eyes  were  too  small  for  my  soul's  ease.  The  wind  so 
disturbed  the  great  water  that  I  thought  the  blows  it  gave 
would  beat  the  land  in  pieces."  The  waves  of  the  ocean 
were  his  great  puzzle,  and  when  the  tide  rose  and  the  water 
approached  his  camping  place  he  believed  that  the  world 
would  be  engulfed,  but  when  the  tide  began  to  recede  he 
stood  for  hours  watching  the  water  until  his  companions 
felt  sure  that  he  had  lost  his  mind.  He  told  his  story,  when 
he  returned,  of  the  long  river  beyond  the  mountains  that 
flowed  into  the  ocean. 


The  Famous  John  Goiter.  6i 


CHAPTER     V. 

THE   FAMOUS   JOHN   COLTER. 

The  First  American  to  Enter  Wyoming — A  Member  of  the  Lewis 
AND  Clark  Expedition — Remains  in  the  Vicinity  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone FROM  1806  to  1810 — He  Traps  Along  the  Big  Horn, 
Big  Wind  River,  and  Crosses  the  Range  to  the  Pacific  Slope 
IN  1807 — Returns  by  Way  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park, 
of  which  He  was  the  Discoverer  —  His  Adventure  with  the 
Blackfeet — A  Race  for  Life — Relates  His  Story  to  Capt. 
Clark,  Bradbury  and  Others. 

In  the  previous  chapter  I  mentioned  the  name  of  John 
Colter  and  his  discharge  from  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedi- 
tion at  Fort  Mandan.  From  that  date  this  member  of  the 
exploring  party  has  been  identified  with  the  country  which 
in  later  years  became  Wyoming,  Colter  while  with  Lewis 
and  Clark  won  the  respect  of  the  explorers  and  was  often 
called  upon  to  perform  important  service  where  bravery 
and  cool-headedness  were  required.  I  regret  that  so  little 
is  known  of  his  early  history  and  that  nothing  is  chronicled 
of  his  old  age  and  death.  No  braver  man  ever  entered  the 
Rocky  Mountain  country.  All  that  is  known  of  his  early  life 
is  that  he  was  a  hunter  and  woodsman  and  in  his  line  had 
won  renown  before  he  joined  Lewis  and  Clark.  Nothing 
is  to  be  learned  of  his  education,  but  the  chances  are  that 
like  most  hunters  of  his  day,  he  was  unlettered.  It  is  with 
satisfaction  that  we  read  in  the  journal  of  the  expedition, 
under  date  of  August  14th  and  15th,  1806,  the  following: 

''In  the  evening  we  were  applied  to  by  one  of  our  men, 
Colter,  who  was  desirous  of  joining  the  two  trappers  who 
had  accompanied  us,  and  who  now  proposed  an  expedition 
up  the  river,  in  which  they  were  to  find  traps  and  give  him 
a  share  of  the  profits.  The  offer  was  a  very  advantageous 
one,  and,  as  he  had  always  performed  his  duty,  and  his 
services  might  be  dispensed  with,  we  agreed  that  he  might 
go  provided  none  of  the  rest  would  ask  or  expect  a  similar 
indulgence.     To  this  they  cheerfully  answered  that  they 


62  History  of  Wyoming. 

wished  Colter  every  success  and  would  not  apply  for  liberty 
to  separate  before  we  reached  St.  Louis.  We  therefore  sup- 
plied him,  as  did  his  comrades  also,  with  powder,  lead  and  a 
variety  of  articles  which  might  be  useful  to  him,  and  he 
left  us  the  next  day." 

This  request  on  the  part  of  Colter  evidently  produced 
a  profound  sensation  at  Fort  Mandan;  the  incident  was  so 
remarkable  that  it  was  not  passed  over  without  further  com- 
ment; the  journal  makes  this  additional  reference  to  the 
subject : 

"The  example  of  this  man  shows  us  how  easily  men  may 
be  weaned  from  the  habits  of  civilized  life  to  the  ruder  but 
scarcely  less  fascinating  manners  of  the  woods.  This  hunter 
has  now  been  absent  for  many  years  from  the  frontier,  and 
might  naturally  be  presumed  to  have  some  anxiety,  or  some 
curiosity  at  least,  to  return  to  his  friends  and  his  country; 
yet  just  at  the  moment  when  he  is  approaching  the  frontier^ 
he  is  tempted  by  a  hunting  scheme  to  give  up  those  delight- 
ful prospects,  and  go  back  without  the  least  reluctance  to 
the  solitude  of  the  woods." 

The  names  of  the  two  trapi)ers  with  whom  Colter  went 
into  partnership  do  not  appear  in  the  Lewis  and  Clark  jour- 
nal but  I  learn  from  other  sources  that  they  were  Dixon  and 
Hancock,  whose  homes  were  on  the  Illinois  River.  They 
were  trappers,  and  in  1804  made  a  trip  up  the  Missouri 
and  trapped  on  the  headwaters  of  that  stream  until  1806. 
It  so  happened  that  they  met  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedi- 
tion on  its  return  that  year  and  persuaded  Colter  to  join 
them.  The  newly  organized  trapping  outfit  followed  up  the 
Missouri  and  trapped  on  the  Yellowstone  and  its  branches. 
Thus  passed  the  balance  of  the  season  of  1806.  The  follow- 
ing spring  he  and  his  companions  started  down  the  Missouri 
river  with  the  intention  of  going  to  St.  Louis.  When  thej 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Platte,  they  met  Manuel  Lisa, 
sometimes  called  de  Lisa,  and  that  enterprising  trader 
persuaded  Colter  to  return  with  him  to  the  Yellowstone 
country,  where  he  had  reported  an  abundance  of  beaver. 
The  fur  expedition  went  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Horn,  where  Lisa  erected  a  fort.  A  small  party  was  organ- 
ized and  with  Colter  at  its  head  was  sent  out  to  trap  and 


TM  FcmKms  John  Colter.  6$ 

trade  among  the  Crows.  In  this  expedition  he  was  evidently 
successful.  His  party  trapped  in  all  the  tributaries  of  the 
Big  Horn,  including  Stinking  Water,  where  he  discovered  a 
boiling  spring  with  a  strong  odor  of  sulphur  and  tar,  which 
gives  rise  to  the  name  Stinking  Water.  Colter  is  in  no  wise 
responsible  for  the  name  however,  as  it  is  of  Indian  origin, 
being  thus  interpreted  by  explorers.  They  trapped  on  the 
Grey  Bull,  Shell  Creek,  No  Wood,  Kirby  Creek,  Owl  Creek, 
Little  Wind  River,  Beaver  Creek  and  all  the  forks  of  the 
Popo  Agie.  The  party  then  went  up  Big  Wind  River  to  its 
source  and  crossed  over  one  of  the  low  passes  to  the  Pacific 
slope.  Capt.  H.  M.  Chittenden  in  his  work  on  the  Yellow- 
stone National  Park,  follows  Colter  closely  in  his  meander- 
ings  on  the  west  side  of  the  Wind  River  Range.    He  says: 

"From  the  summit  of  the  mountains  he  descended  to  the 
westward;  crossed  the  Snake  River  and  Teton  Pass  to 
Pierre's  Hole,  and  then  turned  north,  recrossing  the  Teton 
Range  by  the  Indian  trail  in  the  valley  of  what  is  now  Con- 
ant  Creek,  jnsl  north  ol  Jackson  Lake.  Thence  he  contin- 
ued his  course  until  he  reached  Yellowstone  Lake,  at  some 
point  along  its  southwestern  shore.  He  passed  around  the 
west  to  the  northernmost  point  of  the  Thumb,  and  then 
resumed  his  northerly  course  over  the  hills,  arriving  at  the 
Yellowstone  River  in  the  valley  of  Alum  Creek.  He  fol- 
lowed the  left  bank  of  the  river  to  the  ford  just  above  Tower 
Falls,  where  the  great  Bannock  trail  used  to  cross,  and  then 
followed  this  trail  to  its  junction  with  his  outward  route  on 
Clark's  Fork.  From  this  point  he  recrossed  the  Stinking 
Water,  possibly  in  order  to  revisit  the  strange  phenomena 
there,  but  more  probably' to  explore  new  trapping  territory 
on  his  way  back.  He  descended  the  Stinking  Water  until 
about  south  of  Pryor's  Gap,  when  he  turned  north  and 
shortly  after  arrived  at  his  starting  point." 

Capt.  Chittenden,  in  his  work,  assumes  that  Colter,  on 
this  expedition,  was  alone  or  possibly  with  Indians.  I  think 
this  an  error.  We  must  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Colter 
did  not  make  this  trip  as  an  explorer  but  as  a  trapper. 
There  is  evidence  to  show  that  he  was  engaged  by  Lisa 
when  these  two  met  at  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  to  go  back 
into  the  country  from  whence  he  had  just  come  and  there  to 
trap  for  the  benefit  of  Lisa.    When  we  study  the  character 


64  History  of  Wyoming. 

of  this  fur  trader  we  must  naturally  infer  that  his  engage- 
ment with  Colter  was  strictly  a  matter  of  business  and  that 
he  fitted  him  out  for  a  trapping  expedition.  Lisa  was  one 
of  the  most  enterprising  fur  traders  ever  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  country.  From  first  to  last  he  pushed  his  trappers 
up  all  the  principal  streams  and  covered  the  territory  thor- 
oughly; he  sought  new  fields  of  enterprise  and  by  his 
superior  diplomacy  captured  the  Indian  trade.  Colter  was 
simply  the  agent  of  this  enterprising  Spaniard.  Two  cir- 
cumstances occurred  in  the  life  of  Colter  which  resulted 
in  handing  his  name  down  in  a  sort  of  half-hearted  way  to 
posterity.  First,  when  on  a  trip  to  St.  Louis  he  met  one  of 
his  old  commanders,  Capt  Clark,  and  told  him  of  his  explor- 
ations and  that  gentleman  traced  his  route  on  a  map  which 
was  soon  to  appear  in  connection  with  the  Lewis  and  Clark 
expedition.  Capt.  Clark  evidently  received  Colter's  story 
with  great  allowance  and  he  accordingly  avoided  saying 
anything  about  it  in  his  publication.  It  is  quite  certain 
that  Colter's  story  of  hot  springs,  boiling  lakes,  geysers, 
Mtc,  was  regarded  by  his  old  commander  as  beyond  belief; 
therefore  he  contented  himself  with  tracing  on  his  map 
what  he  denoted  as  the  Colter  route  of  1807.  At  this  day 
we  feel  thankful  for  even  this  slight  recognition  of  the 
services  of  John  Colter.  Besides  Capt.  Clark,  Colter  told 
his  story  to  John  Bradbury,  a  scientific  gentleman,  who 
accompanied  Wilson  P.  Hunt's  expedition  a  part  of  the  way 
Tip  the  Missouri  in  1811.  To  this  latter  gentleman  we  are 
indebted  for  a  story  of  surprising  bravery  and  thrilling  ad- 
venture that  deserves  a  place  in  the  history  of  pioneering 
by  white  men  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  incident  in 
Colter's  life  will  be  told  further  on. 

While  Colter  had  been  on  his  expedition,  Manuel  Lisa 
had  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  organized,  or  re-organized,  I 
am  not  certain  which,  the  Missouri  Fur  Company.  At  any 
rate  he  had  secured  additional  capital,  with  the  idea  of  mo- 
nopolizing the  fur  trade  of  the  tributary  waters  of  the  Mis- 
souri River.  This  time  he  brought  with  him  from  St.  Louis  a 
large  number  of  recruits  for  his  trapping  service  and  among 


The  Famous  John  Colter.  65 

others,  John  Potts,  who  has  been  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition.  Potts  was  of  course 
an  experienced  mountainman,  knew  the  Indian  character 
in  detail,  and  was  brave  even  to  rashness.  Colter  and  Potts 
being  re-united  naturally  made  their  plans  to  trap  together 
during  the  season  of  1808.  I  take  it  that  they  were  free 
trappers  attaching  themselves  to  Manuel  Lisa's  company. 
Colter  evidently  led  the  way  and  the  two  went  up  and 
trapped  on  the  northern  tributaries  of  the  Missouri. 

In  Bradbury's  "Sketches  of  the  Northwest,  (London, 
1812),  the  writer  claims  that  Colter  came  to  St.  Louis  in 
May  1810,  in  a  small  canoe  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Miss- 
ouri, a  distance  of  three  thousand  miles  which  he  traversed 
in  thirty  days.  "I  saw  him  on  his  arrival,"  says  Bradbury, 
"and  received  from  him  an  account  of  his  adventures  after 
he  had  separated  from  Lewis  and  Clark's  party.  One  of 
these  I  shall  relate.  On  the  arrival  of  the  party  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Missouri,  Colter,  observing  that  there  appeared 
to  be  an  abundance  of  beaver  there,  got  permission  to  re- 
main and  hunt  for  some  time,  which  he  did  in  company 
with  a  man  named  Dixon,  who  had  traversed  alone  the  im- 
mense tract  of  country  from  St.  Louis  to  the  headwaters  of 
the  Missouri.  Soon  after,  he  separated  from  Dixon  and 
trapped  in  company  with  a  hunter  named  Potts;  and,  aware 
of  the  hostility  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians,  one  of  whom  had 
been  killed  by  Capt.  Lewis,  they  set  their  traps  at  night 
and  took  them  up  early  in  the  morning,  remaining  concealed 
during  the  day.  They  were  examining  their  traps  early 
one  morning  on  a  creek  about  six  miles  from  that  branch  of 
the  Missouri  called  Jefferson's  Fork,  and  were  ascending 
in  a  canoe,  when  they  suddenly  heard  a  great  noise  resem- 
bling the  tramping  of  animals,  but  they  could  not  ascertain 
the  fact,  as  the  high  perpendicular  banks  on  each  side  of 
the  river  impeded  their  view.  Colter  immediately  pro- 
nounced it  to  be  occasioned  by  Indians,  and  advised  an  in- 
stant retreat,  but  was  accused  of  cowardice  by  Potts  who 
insisted  that  the  noise  was  caused  by  buffaloes,  and  they 
proceeded  on.    In  few  moments  their  doubts  were  removed 

-(5) 


66  History  of  Wyoming, 

by  a  party  of  five  or  six  hundred  Indians  presenting  them- 
selves, and  beckoning  them  to  come  ashore.  As  retreat 
was  now  impossible,  Colter  turned  the  head  of  his  canoe 
to  the  shore,  and,  at  the  moment  of  its  touching,  an  Indian 
seized  the  rifle  belonging  to  Potts,  but  Colter  immediately 
retook  it  and  handed  it  to  Potts  who  remained  in  the  canoe, 
and,  on  receiving  it  pushed  off  into  the  river.  He  had 
scarcely  quitted  the  shore  when  an  arrow  was  shot  at  him 
and  he  cried  out,  'Colter,  I  am  wounded!'  Colter  remon- 
strated with  him  on  the  folly  of  attempting  to  escape,  and 
urged  him  to  come  ashore.  Instead  of  complying,  he  in- 
stantly leveled  his  rifle  at  an  Indian,  and  shot  him  dead 
on  the  spot.  This  conduct  may  appear  to  be  an  act  of 
madness;  but  it  was  doubtless  the  effect  of  sudden  and 
sound  reasoning,  for,  if  taken  alive,  he  must  have  expected 
to  be  tortured  to  death,  according  to  their  custom.  He  was 
instantly  pierced  with  arrows  so  numerous  that,  to  use  the 
language  of  Colter,  'he  was  made  a  riddle  of.'  They  now 
seized  Colter,  stripped  him  entirely  naked,  and  began  to 
consult  on  the  manner  in  which  he  should  be  put  to  death. 
They  were  first  inclined  to  set  him  up  as  a  mark  to  shoot 
at;  but  the  chief  interfered,  and,  seizing  him  by  the  shoul- 
der, asked  him  if  he  could  run  fast.  Colter,  who  had  been 
some  time  among  the  Keekatsa  or  Crow  Indians,  had  in  a 
considerable  degree  acquired  the  Blackfeet  language  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  Indian  customs.  He  knew  that 
he  now  had  to  run  for  his  life,  with  the  dreadful  odds  of  five 
hundred  or  six  hundred  against  him — those  armed  Indians. 
Therefore  he  cunningly  replied  that  he  was  a  bad  runner, 
although  he  was  considered  by  the  hunters  as  remarkably 
swift.  The  chief  now  commanded  the  party  to  remain  sta- 
tionary, and  led  Colter  out  upon  the  prairie  three  or  four 
hundred  yards  and  released  him,  bidding  him  to  save  him- 
self if  he  could.  At  that  instant  the  horrid  war-whoop 
sounded  in  the  ears  of  poor  Colter,  who,  urged  by  hope,  ran 
at  a  speed  which  surprised  himself.  He  proceeded  toward 
the  Jefferson  Fork,  having  to  cross  a  plain  over  six  miles  in 
width  abounding  with  the  prickly  pear,  on  which  he  was 


The  Famous  John  Colter.  67 

every  instant  treading  with  his  naked  feet.  He  ran  nearly 
half  way  across  the  plain  before  he  ventured  to  look  over 
his  shoulder,  when  he  perceived  that  the  Indians  were  very 
much  scattered  and  that  he  had  gained  ground  to  a  consid- 
erable distance  from  the  main  body;  but  one  Indian  who 
carried  a  spear  was  much  before  all  the  rest,  and  not  more 
than  a  hundred  yards  from  him.  A  faint  gleam  of  hope  now 
cheered  the  heart  of  Colter.  He  derived  confidence  from  the 
belief  that  escape  was  within  the  bounds  of  possibility ;  but 
that  confidence  was  nearly  proving  fatal  to  him,  for  he 
exerted  himself  to  such  a  degree  that  blood  gushed  from 
his  nostrils  and  soon  almost  covered  the  fore  part  of  his 
body.  He  had  now  arrived  within  a  mile  of  the  river,  when 
he  distinctly  heard  the  appalling  sound  of  footsteps  behind 
him,  and  every  instant  expected  to  feel  the  spear  of  his 
pursuer.  Again  he  turned  his  head  and  saw  the  savage  not 
twenty  yards  from  him.  Determined,  if  possible,  to  avoid 
the  expected  blow,  he  suddenly  stopped,  turned  round,  and 
spread  out  his  arms.  The  Indian,  surprised  at  this  sudden 
action,  and  perhaps  at  the  bloody  appearance  of  Colter, 
also  attempted  to  stop;  but,  exhausted  with  running,  he  fell 
while  endeavoring  to  throw  his  spear,  which  stuck  in  the 
ground  and  broke  in  his  hand.  Colter  instantly  snatched 
up  the  pointed  part,  with  which  he  pinned  him  to  the  earth, 
and  continued  his  flight.  The  foremost  of  the  Indians,  on 
arriving  at  the  place,  stopped  till  the  others  came  up  to 
join  him,  when  they  set  up  a  hideous  yell.  Every  moment 
of  this  time  was  improved  by  Colter,  who,  though  fainting 
and  exhausted,  succeeded  in  gaining  the  skirting  of  the 
Cottonwood  trees  on  the  borders  of  the  Fork,  through  which 
he  ran  and  plunged  into  the  river.  Fortunately  for  him,  a 
little  below  this  place  was  an  island,  against  the  upper  point 
of  which  a  raft  of  drift  timber  had  lodged.  He  dived  under 
the  raft  and  after  several  efforts  got  his  head  above  water 
among  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  covered  over  with  smaller 
wood  to  the  depth  of  several  feet.  Scarcely  had  he  secured 
himself  when  the  Indians  arrived  on  the  river,  screeching 
and  yelling,  as  Colter  expressed  it,  'like  so  many  devils.' 


68  History  of  Wyoming. 

They  were  frequently  on  the  raft  during  the  day,  and  were 
seen  through  the  chinks  by  Colter,  who  was  congratulating 
himself  upon  his  escape  until  the  idea  arose  that  they  might 
set  the  raft  on  fire.  In  horrible  suspense  he  remained  until 
night,  when,  hearing  no  more  of  the  Indians,  he  dived  from 
under  the  raft,  swam  silently  down  the  river  a  long  dis- 
tance, when  he  landed  and  traveled  all  night.  Although 
happy  in  having  escaped  from  the  Indians,  his  situation  was 
still  dreadful.  He  was  completely  naked  under  a  burning 
sun.  The  soles  of  his  feet  were  entirely  filled  with  the 
thorns  of  the  prickly  pears.  He  was  hungry  and  had  no 
means  of  killing  game,  although  he  saw  abundance  around 
him,  and  was  at  least  seven  days  from  Lisa's  Fort  on  the  Big 
Horn  branch  of  the  Roche  Juan  river.  Those  were  circum- 
stances under  which  any  man  but  an  American  hunter 
would  have  despaired.  He  arrived  at  the  Fort  in  seven 
days,  having  subsisted  upon  a  root  much  esteemed  by  the 
Indians  of  the  Missouri,  now  known  by  naturalists  as  the 
Psoralea  esculeutaJ' 

Irving,  in  "Astoria,"  also  tells  this  story,  yet  makes 
no  reference  to  Bradbury  as  the  author,  but  as  he  wrote 
it  many  years  before  Irving  published  his  Astoria,  I  prefer 
to  place  the  credit  where  it  belongs. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  my  history  to  trace  Colter's  life 
further.  I  will  only  say  that  he  remained  another  year  in 
the  mountains,  but  whether  he  trapped  in  Wyoming  in  1809, 
or  in  some  other  locality,  I  do  not  know.  Bradbury,  it  will 
be  observed,  says  that  he  returned  to  St.  Louis  in  May,  1810. 

Washington  Irving  says  that  John  Colter  met  the  As- 
torians  on  their  way  up  the  Missouri  in  1811  and  kept  with 
the  party  all  one  morning,  and  would  have  returned  with 
them  to  the  mountains  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that  he 
had  married  since  his  return. 

John  Colter,  from  the  most  authentic  accounts,  was  the 
first  American  to  enter  Wyoming,  and  is  also  the  discov- 
erer of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park.  Other  white  men 
had  been  in  Wyoming,  but  they  were  not  Americans.  Had 
Colter  been  employed  by  the  government  and  provided  with 


The  Famous  John  Colter.  ,69 

a  scientific  outfit  so  as  to  have  made  an  official  record  of  his 
travels  and  discoveries,  his  name  would  have  rung  down 
the  ages  along  with  those  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  Zebulon  Pike, 
John  C,  Fremont  and  others  equally  famous  in  the  annals  of 
history.  Unfortunately,  he  had  to  deal  with  people  who 
were  too  narrow-minded  to  comprehend  the  wonders  of  the 
headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone.  His  associates  for  the  most 
part  were  ignorant  trappers  who  heard  his  stories  with  de- 
risive laughter  and  referred  to  the  locality  of  the  Park  as 
"Colter's  Hell."  Why  Bradbury,  with  his  great  enterprise 
and  love  of  adventure,  did  not  investigate  for  himself  the 
locality,  it  is  hard  to  say;  or  that  the  celebrated  English 
traveler,  Mr.  Nuttall,  who  heard  Colter's  story,  should  think 
it  unworthy  of  investigation,  is  strange  indeed.  H.  M. 
Brackenride,  who  knew  Colter  well  and  talked  with  him 
about  his  travels,  seems  to  have  imbibed  the  opinions  of 
the  ignorant  trappers.  He  mentions  Colter  in  his  writings, 
and  speaks  of  his  discovery  of  a  low  pass  through  the  moun- 
tains, but  fails  to  give  any  account  of  our  hero's  discoveries 
at  the  head  of  the  Yellowstone.  Here  were  three  men  who 
went  out  in  1811  in  convoy  of  fur  traders,  and  each  had  an 
opportunity  to  make  his  name  immortal  by  investigating 
Colter's  discoveries,  but  they  did  not  take  advantage  of  the 
knowledge  they  possessed.  Colter  will,  without  their  aid, 
be  known  and  recognized  as  the  discoverer  of  that  wonder- 
land which  has  been  set  apart  by  the  American  govern- 
ment for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  American  people.  Other 
men  have  done  much  in  the  way  of  exploring  this  world- 
renowned  Park  and  bringing  it  to  the  attention  of  the  peo- 
ple, but  John  Colter  is  without  doubt  the  first  white  man 
to  behold  the  wonders  of  nature  grouped  together  in  that 
part  of  Wyoming.  At  some  day  a  monument  will  be  erected 
in  the  midst  of  this  national  pleasure  ground,  and  on  it  will 
be  inscribed  the  name  of  John  Colter,  the  discoverer  of  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park,  1807. 


70  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

EZEKIEL  WILLIAMS'  PARTY  IN  WYOMING. 
They  Follow  Up  the  Yellowstone  and  are  Attacked  by  Blackfeet 
— Cross  Over  to  the  Big  Horn  and  Go  South — Reach  the 
Sweetwater — Another  Attack  by  Indians  —  Retreat  South 
Across  the  Laramie  Plains  and  Reach  the  Headwaters  of  the 
South  Platte — Comanches  Attack  the  Party  and  Kill  All  But 
Three — Williams  Returns  to  St.  Louis  and  the  Two  Others 
Go  to  Southern  California— The  Leader  Again  Visits  the 
Sweetwater  in  1809. 

Captain  Lewis,  when  ready  to  leave  Fort  Mandan  on 
his  return  trip,  invited  the  chief  of  the  Mandan  tribe,  Big 
White,  to  accompany  him  to  Washington.  The  chief  prom- 
ised to  do  so,  and  to  take  his  wife  and  son  with  him,  pro- 
vided he  was  assured  of  an  escort  up  the  river  on  his  return. 
He  feared  warlike  tribes  who  lived  lower  down  on  the  river. 
Captain  Lewis  readily  promised  that  the  government  would 
send  a  suflScient  escort  to  guarantee  their  safety  past  the 
dangerous  tribes  who  infested  the  Missouri  lower  down  the 
river.  The  president  made  good  Captain  Lewis'  promises. 
Twenty  hardy  Missourians  who  had  all  seen  service  were 
selected  to  form  the  escort.  The  command  of  the  expedition 
was  given  to  Ezekiel  Williams,  a  man  of  large  frontier  expe- 
rience— a  hunter  of  renown  who  had  the  reputation  of  being 
an  excellent  rifleman,  cool,  determined  and  brave.  The 
party  left  St.  Louis  on  April  25,  1807.  They  were  outfitted 
for  two  years'  stay  in  the  mountains,  it  being  understood 
that  they  were  first  to  return  the  Mandan  chief  and  his 
family  to  their  native  village,  after  which  they  were  at  lib- 
erty to  trap  as  long  as  they  saw  fit.  The  party  was  not  only 
well  selected  but  well  equipped,  and  they  entered  upon 
their  journey  with  enthusiasm,  feeling  satisfied  that  they 
would  bring  home  many  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  rich 
peltries.    It  was  their  intention  to  trap  for  a  time  on  the 


Ezekiel  Williams'  Party  in  Wyoming.  71 

headwaters  of  the  Missouri  and  then  cross  the  mountains 
and  try  their  luck  on  the  other  side.  The  party,  after  leav- 
ing St.  Louis,  passed  up  the  Missouri  river  without  incident 
until  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Platte,  when  William 
Hamilton,  one  of  their  number,  was  taken  violently  ill  with 
a  fever.  In  his  delirium,  he  raved  about  home  and  loved 
ones.  His  associates  gave  him  the  tenderest  care  and  ad- 
ministered such  remedies  as  a  well-selected  medicine  chest 
contained,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  He  died  and  was  buried 
by  his  comrades  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri,  just  below 
the  Platte.  The  party  proceeded  on  up  the  river  and  by  the 
good  management  of  Williams  successfully  passed  the  war- 
like Sioux  country  and  finally  landed  the  chieftain  at  his 
village.  The  Mandan  people  were  greatly  rejoiced  when 
they  saw  that  their  chief  had  been  returned  to  them  accord- 
ing to  the  promise  of  Captain  Lewis.  They  were  loud  in 
their  praises  of  Captain  Lewis  and  the  white  people  gene- 
rally because  they  would  not  lie.  They  had  pledged  their 
word  and  had  kept  it.  Williams  and  his  party  remained  a 
week  at  the  village,  resting  from  their  toilsome  journey 
against  the  current  of  the  Missouri.  From  here  they  went 
on  up  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  turn- 
ing up  that  stream,  trapped  in  all  its  tributaries.  The  party 
was  well  organized  and  well  armed,  Williams  was  a  good 
commander  and  possessed  the  confidence  of  his  men.  The 
whole  party,  however,  seemed  to  have  entered  the  Indian 
country  with  altogther  a  mistaken  idea  of  the  natives.  They 
were  trappers,  and  did  not  expect  to  fight  their  way  through 
the  country.  They  trapped  successfully  and  finally  reached 
a  locality  which  they  considered  an  ideal  one  for  the  trap- 
per and  hunter.  All  the  streams  were  filled  with  beaver, 
and  on  the  plains  were  thousands  of  buffalo,  A  camp  was 
formed  and  the  business  of  trapping  was  carried  on  without 
intermission.  One  day  ten  of  the  party  went  out  buffalo 
hunting,  some  distance  from  the  camp,  and  were  attacked 
by  a  band  of  Indians  whom  they  believed  to  be  Blackfeet, 
The  appearance  of  Indians  was  entirely  unexpected,  and 
the  hunters  being  spread  out  over  the  prairie  were  unable 


72  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  defend  themselves.  They  killed  one  Indian,  but  five  of 
the  white  men  were  slain,  and  the  remaining  five  only  saved 
themselves  by  fleeing  to  the  camp.  The  Indians  being  in 
overwhelming  numbers,  Williams  broke  up  his  camp  and 
made  a  rapid  march  to  the  south  to  escape  from  the  country 
of  the  Blackfeet.  They  finally  fell  in  with  a  band  of  Crows, 
and  as  these  Indians  treated  them  in  a  most  friendly  manner, 
they  were  loath  to  leave  the  Crow  country.  One  of  their 
number,  Edward  Rose,  decided  to  remain  with  the  tribe. 
This  man  was  the  first  American  to  take  up  a  permanent 
residence  in  the  Big  Horn  country.  He,  in  1810,  went  to 
St.  Louis  to  market  furs,  but  returned  to  the  Crow  tribe  in 
the  spring  of  1811  in  company  with  Wilson  P.  Hunt  and 
party,  whom  he  served  as  interpreter  until  they  reached  the 
Crow  nation.  Rose,  it  has  been  claimed  in  St.  Louis,  was 
an  outlaw  before  he  joined  the  Williams  party,  but  that 
explorer  knew  nothing  of  this  part  of  his  history  previous 
to  engaging  him.  I  might  as  well  say  here  that  Rose  re- 
mained with  the  tribe,  which  adopted  him,  until  1823.  Af- 
ter that  date  he  was  guide  to  Thomas  Fitzpatrick  and  Will- 
iam Sublette.  Many  harsh  things  have  been  said  of  himj 
he  being  called  unprincipled,  treacherous,  and  a  brawler. 
He  is  mentioned  by  many  writers  as  being  of  unsavory  char- 
acter, and  in  fact  I  have  been  unable  to  find  but  one  person 
who  speaks  well  of  him,  and  that  is  Jim  Beckwourth,  and  as 
his  character  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  Rose,  his  testi- 
mony will  hardly  be  taken. 

After  Rose  left  the  Williams  party,  there  remained  but 
thirteen  men,  and  these  took  a  southerly  course,  presumably 
up  the  Big  Horn  River,  and  must  have  crossed  the  Wind 
River  Valley,  as  they  went  to  South  Pass.  On  reaching 
what  they  called  the  headwaters  of  the  North  Platte  (the 
Sweetwater),  they  encountered,  as  they  supposed,  another 
band  of  Crows.  These  freebooters  first  ran  off  all  the 
horses  belonging  to  the  party,  and  in  an  unsuccessful  at- 
tempt to  recover  them  Williams  lost  five  more  of  his  men, 
but  succeeded  in  killing  twenty  of  the  Indians.  The  trap- 
pers were  now  reduced  to  eight  men — these  on  foot  and  con- 


EzeMel  Williams'  Party  in  Wyoming.  73 

sequently  in  a  deplorable  condition,  as  they  were  in  a  hos- 
tile country.  They  had  a  considerable  amount  of  valuable 
fui»s  which  they  cached,  together  with  such  other  property 
which  they  could  not  carry,  and  moving  rapidly  south  they 
in  dr.e  course  of  time  reached  the  headwaters  of  the  South 
Platte  and  were  out  of  Wyoming.  They  must  have  passed 
over  the  Laramie  Plains  and  made  their  way  to  the  South 
Platte  at  a  point  near  where  Denver  now  stands.  Fate 
seemed  to  follow  them,  for  they  were  next  attacked  by 
Comanches  and  in  a  short  time  their  number  was  reduced  to 
three,  these  being  Ezekiel  Williams,  James  Workman  and 
Samuel  Spencer.  The  three  lone  wanderers  now  resolved 
to  get  out  of  the  country  and  return  to  St.  Louis,  but  an- 
other misfortune  soon  happened  them.  They  quarreled  and 
finally  separated,  Williams  going  down  the  Arkansas  and 
after  many  adventures  finally  reaching  St.  Louis.  He 
returned  to  the  Sweetwater  in  1809  with  a  party  of  trappers 
and  recovered  the  furs  cached  in  that  locality.  Workman 
and  Spencer  on  leaving  Williams  also  bent  their  steps  to- 
ward the  Arkansas,  which  they  mistook  for  the  Red  River. 
They  went  up  this  stream,  expecting  to  discover  a  practi- 
cal route  to  Santa  Fe,  but  they  wandered  many  months  in 
the  mountains,  and  after  a  time  joined  a  Mexican  caravan 
bound  for  California.  The  following  year  they  returned 
with  the  same  caravan  to  Santa  Fe,  where  they  remained 
until  1824.  I  am  indebted  for  these  facts  to  a  little  volume 
published  by  David  H.  Cozner  in  1847  under  the  title  of 
"The  Lost  Trappers."  From  other  sources  I  learn  that 
Williams  served  as  a  volunteer  in  the  war  of  1812,  but  what 
fate  finally  befell  him  I  do  not  know. 


74  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  ASTORIA  EXPEDITION. 

The  Tonquin  Sails  for  the  Mouth  of  the  Columbia— Wilson  P. 
Hunt  Organizes  a  Land  Expedition  and  Goes  Up  the  Missouri — 
The  Party  Reaches  the  Country  Which  Is  Now  Wyoming — 
Numerous  Attempts  Made  to  Cross  the  Big  Horn  Mountains — 
Finally  Ascend  the  Middle  Fork  of  the  Powder  River  and 
Reach  the  No  Wood — ^Journey  Up  the  Big  Horn  and  Big  Wind 
Rivers — Cross  Sheridan  Pass  to  the  Headwaters  of  Green 
River — First  View  of  the  Grand  Tetons — Crossing  the  Green 
River  Valley,  they  Reach  the  Headwaters  of  the  Columbia. 

The  expedition  of  Wilson  P.  Hunt  was  organized  in 
1810  by  John  Jacob  Astor,  native  of  Waldorf,  Germany, 
who  came  to  America  in  1783  and  on  his  arrival  entered  the 
fur  trade.  Mr.  Astor  was  a  clear-headed  business  man, 
and  he  early  saw  an  opportunity  to  compete  successfully 
with  the  Northwestern  Fur  Company  for  the  profitable  trade 
in  furs  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  country.  Mr.  Astor  in  1809 
procured  from  the  New  York  Legislature  a  charter  for  a 
company  to  be  known  as  "The  American  Fur  Company," 
with  a  capital  of  |1,000,000,  with  the  privilege  of  increasing 
it  to  two  millions.  This  company  had  a  board  of  directors, 
but  these  gentlemen  were  mere  figure-heads.  Mr.  Astor 
furnished  the  money  and  conducted  the  business.  His  only 
object  in  using  the  name  of  a  company  was  to  place  his 
operations  on  a  par  with  the  great  Northwest  Company, 
whose  domain  he  was  about  to  enter,  and  secure  for  him- 
self at  least  a  part  of  the  profitable  trade.  This  shrewd 
business  man  sought  an  interview  with  the  representatives 
of  the  United  States  government  and  laid  before  them  a 
plan  whereby  a  large  share  of  the  fur  trade  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  United  States  should  come  into  the  hands 
of  American  citizens,  and  he  offered,  providing  he  could 
receive  the  protection  of  the  government,  to  turn  the  whole 


The  Astoria  Expedition.  75 

of  this  lucrative  business  into  American  channels  of  trade. 
We  are  told  that  the  President  warmly  approved  of  his 
plans,  but  he  was  informed  that  the  government  could  not, 
directly,  aid  in  the  undertaking.  Astor's  plan  was  to  send 
one  expedition  up  the  Missouri,  across  the  mountains,  and 
down  the  Columbia  River  to  the  mouth  of  that  stream.  An- 
other was  to  go  by  sea,  around  Cape  Horn,  and  thence  by 
the  Pacific  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  He  fitted  out  the 
ship  Tonquin,  a  fine  vessel  of  290  tons  burden.  This  vessel 
was  loaded  with  merchandise  suitable  for  trading  with  the 
natives,  and  also  carried  the  ready-made  parts  of  a  schooner 
which  was  to  be  put  together  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia 
and  used  in  the  coasting  trade.  Lieutenant  Thorn  of  the 
United  States  navy,  on  leave  of  absence,  was  given  command 
of  the  vessel.  Previous  to  the  departure  of  the  Tonquin, 
"The  Pacific  Fur  Company"  was  organized  by  Mr.  Astor 
and  Duncan  McDougal,  Alexander  McKay  and  Donald  Mc- 
Kenzie,  three  ambitious  gentlemen  who  had  long  been  con- 
nected with  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  and  had  be- 
come dissatisfied  with  that  corporation,  because  they  were 
not  promoted  to  high  salaried  positions,  became  partners 
in  the  new  company.  Mr.  McKay  was  a  man  of  great  ex- 
perience in  the  far  west,  having  accompanied  Sir  Alexander 
McKenzie  on  both  of  his  expeditions  to  the  Northwest 
coast  in  1789  and  1793.  Wilson  Price  Hunt  of  New  Jersey 
also  joined  the  company,  David  Stuart  and  his  nephew, 
Robert  Stuart,  became  members  of  the  corporation.  Of 
Mr.  Hunt  and  Robert  Stuart  I  shall  have  much  to  say 
hereafter,  as  they  become  conspicuous  characters  in  the 
early  history  of  Wyoming. 

After  the  formation  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  Wil- 
son Price  Hunt  was  given  charge  of  the  expedition  which 
was  to  cross  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  his  instructions 
were  to  note  places  where  interior  trading  posts  might  be 
established.  The  partners  had  agreed  that  this  gentleman 
should  be  placed  in  charge  of  the  establishment  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  when  the  two  expeditions  should 
form  a  junction  at  that  point.    From  all  accounts,  Mr.  Hunt 


76  Hiatwy  of  Wyoming. 

was  a  man  of  upright  character,  fair  in  all  his  dealings^ 
amiable  in  disposition,  and  a  representative  business  man, 
though  he  had  no  experience  with  Indians  or  with  Indian 
trade.  For  some  years  he  had  been  engaged  in  business  at 
St.  Louis,  which  was  at  that  time  a  border  settlement,  and 
by  this  means  it  must  be  that  he  had  acquired  considerable 
information  regarding  the  mountain  country  and  its  in- 
habitants. In  July,  1810,  we  find  Mr.  Hunt  in  Montreal, 
Canada,  recruiting  Canadian  voyageurs  for  his  expedition. 
Late  in  the  same  month  he  arrived  in  Mackinaw,  at  the 
confluence  of  Lakes  Huron  and  Michigan.  Here  he  was 
Joined  by  Ramsey  Crooks,  a  Scotchman,  who  had  been 
engaged  for  some  years  with  the  Northwest  Company,  but 
later  had  been  trading  with  the  Indians  on  the  upper  Mis- 
souri on  his  own  account,  in  company  with  a  man  named 
McLellan.  These  two  men  had  been  on  the  upper  Missouri 
and  had  been  robbed  in  detail,  first  by  Sioux  Indians  and 
again  by  Blackfeet.  Crooks,  being  out  of  employment, 
gladly  joined  the  expedition.  Mr.  Hunt  left  Mackinaw  on 
the  12th  of  August,  having  with  him  Crooks  and  his  Cana- 
dian voyageurs.  They  went  by  the  then  popular  route  of 
Green  Bay,  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  to  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  thence  by  the  Mississippi,  arriving  in  St.  Louis  on  Sep- 
tember 3rd.  Joseph  Miller,  another  independent  fur  trader, 
here  joined  the  company.  He  was  a  Baltimorean  by  birth, 
well  educated,  and  had  been  an  officer  in  the  United  States 
army.  Years  before  he  had  applied  for  a  furlough,  and  be- 
ing refused,  took,  as  the  saying  is,  French  leave;  that  is, 
hastily  resigned  his  commission,  and  then  engaged  in  trap- 
ping and  trading  on  the  frontier.  After  securing  a  number  of 
other  additions  to  his  party,  Mr.  Hunt  started  in  three 
boats,  one  a  Schenectady  barge,  down  the  Mississippi  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri,  thence  up  that  stream  450  miles  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Nodowa  River,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
16th  of  November.  As  winter  was  now  coming  on,  the 
weather  being  cold,  the  party  resolved  to  go  into  winter 
quarters.  The  place  selected  was  an  ideal  winter  camp. 
There  was  abundance  of  timber  for  log  huts,  and  the  coun- 


The  Astoi'ia  Expedition.  77 

try  abounded  in  game.  Under  Mr.  Hunt's  practical  man- 
agement and  with  the  able  assistance  of  his  partners,  the 
party  was  soon  well  housed.  At  this  place  Robert  McLellan, 
Ramsey  Crooks'  old  partner,  put  in  an  appearance  and  was 
easily  persuaded  to  join  the  expedition.  He  rather  liked  the 
opportunity  of  going  back  into  the  Indian  country  with  a 
strong  force.  This  man  McLellan,  Washington  Irving  in 
his  Astoria  describes  as  a  remarkable  character.  That  au- 
thor says :  "He  had  been  a  partisan  under  General  Wayne 
in  his  Indian  wars,  where  he  had  distinguished  himself  by 
his  fiery  spirit  and  reckless  daring,  and  marvelous  stories 
were  told  of  his  exploits.  His  appearance  answered  to  his 
character.  His  frame  was  meagre,  but  muscular,  showing 
strength,  activity  and  iron  firmness.  His  eyes  were  dark, 
deep-set  and  piercing.  He  was  restless  and  fearless,  but  of 
impetuous  and  sometimes  ungovernable  temper.  He  had 
been  invited  by  Mr.  Hunt  to  enroll  himself  as  a  partner  and 
gladly  consented,  being  pleased  with  the  thoughts  of  pass- 
ing, with  a  powerful  force,  through  the  country  of  the  Sioux 
and  perhaps  having  an  opportunity  of  revenging  himself 
upon  that  lawless  tribe  for  their  past  offenses." 

At  this  same  place  another  man  joined  the  party  who 
from  his  many  remarkable  qualities  as  hunter,  explorer  and 
all-around  heroism  is  deserving  of  even  more  than  a  passing 
notice.  This  was  John  Day,  an  ideal  hunter  from  Virginia, 
who  had  drifted  over  to  the  Missouri  river  and  had  been  in 
the  employ  of  Ramsey  Crooks  and  other  small  traders.  Day 
is  described  as  being  forty  years  old,  six  feet  two  inches  in 
height,  a  handsome  fellow,  of  manly  bearing.  He  had  made 
money  in  the  wilderness  to  spend  it  royally  in  the  town. 
He  was  one  of  nature's  rangers  in  the  mountain;  never  lost 
his  bearings,  his  courage,  or  his  presence  of  mind.  Joined 
to  his  other  qualities,  he  was  bold,  an  unerring  shot  and 
an  agreeable  companion.  Crooks  knew  him  well,  and  it 
was  because  of  his  strong  recommendation  that  Mr.  Hunt 
was  pleased  to  have  him  in  the  party.  Mr.  Hunt  had  numer- 
ous conferences  with  Messrs.  Crooks,  McLellan,  Miller  and 
John  Day  in  regard  to  their  journey  through  the  wilderness, 


^S  History  of  Wyoming- 

and  these  all  advised  him  to  employ  more  men  for  the  expe- 
dition. He  saw  that  the  Canadian  voyageurs,  while  they 
were  well  enough  as  boatmen,  could  not  be  depended  upon 
in  fighting  their  way  through  the  wilderness  if  perchance 
the  natives  should  choose  to  be  hostile;  so  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1811,  he  set  off  on  foot  on  his  return  to  St.  Louis 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  procuring  a  number  of  Ameri- 
can hunters  possessed  of  the  game  spirit  of  the  west.  After 
proceeding  150  miles  on  foot,  he  secured  horses  and  made 
the  balance  of  the  journey  on  horseback.  In  due  course  of 
time  he  procured  the  necessary  additions  to  his  party  and 
took  his  way  back  to  his  winter  encampment. 

Among  the  men  engaged  for  the  expedition  was  one 
Edward  Rose,  who  claimed  to  have  a  knowledge  of  moun- 
tain life,  and  who  looked  like  a  man  of  experience.  Mr. 
Hunt  was  prejudiced  slightly  against  this  individual  on 
account  of  his  dark  looks,  sour  visage  and  general  aspect, 
but  he  realized  that  the  hardships  he  might  have  suffered 
in  the  mountains  and  the  solitary  life  of  a  hunter  which  he 
had  led,  might  have  marked  his  nature,  but  he  thought  the 
chances  were  that  the  man  might  be  possessed  of  good 
qualities  which  the  wilderness  would  develop,  and  so  he 
accordingly  engaged  him.  Had  he  acted  on  his  first  im- 
pressions he  would  have  saved  himself  many  days  of  wor- 
riment. 

His  greatest  difficulty  had  been  to  secure  a  Sioux  inter- 
preter. He  finally  procured  the  services  of  a  half-breed 
named  Pierre  Dorion,  who  would  consent  to  accept  the  po« 
sition  of  interpreter  and  hunter  provided  Mr.  Hunt  would 
permit  him  to  take  his  squaw  and  her  two  children  along. 
To  this  Mr.  Hunt  agreed.  Washington  Irving  thus  capitally 
describes  Mr.  Hunt's  Sioux  interpreter:  "Pierre  was  the 
son  of  Dorion,  the  French  interpreter  who  accompanied 
Messrs.  Lewis  and  Clark  in  their  famous  exploring  expedi- 
tion across  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Old  Dorion  was  one  of 
those  French  Creoles,  descendants  of  the  ancient  Canadian 
stock  who  abound  on  the  western  frontier  and  amalgamate 
or  cohabit  with  the  savages.     He  had  sojourned  among 


The  Astoria  Expedition.  79 

various  tribes,  and  perhaps  left  progeny  among  them  all; 
but  his  regular  or  habitual  wife  was  a  Sioux  squaw.  By  her 
he  had  a  hopeful  brood  of  half-breed  sons,  of  whom  Pierre 
was  one.  The  domestic  affairs  of  old  Dorion  were  conducted 
on  the  true  Indian  plan.  Father  and  son  would  occasionally 
get  drunk  together,  and  then  the  cabin  was  the  scene  of 
ruffianly  brawl  and  fighting,  in  the  course  of  which  the  old 
Frenchman  was  apt  to  get  soundly  belabored  by  his  mongrel 
offspring.  In  a  furious  scuffle  of  the  kind,  one  of  the  sons 
got  the  old  man  upon  the  ground,  and  was  on  the  point  of 
scalping  him.  'Hold!  my  son,'  cried  the  old  fellow,  in  im- 
ploring accents,  'you  are  too  brave,  too  honorable,  to  scalp 
your  father!'  This  appeal  touched  the  French  side  of  the 
half-breed's  heart,  so  he  suffered  the  old  man  to  wear  his 
scalp  unharmed." 

On  Mr.  Hunt's  journey  back  to  the  encampment,  he 
mentions  in  his  journal  having  met  the  renowned  hunter^ 
Daniel  Boone,  who  was  then  in  his  eighty-fifth  year.  The 
old  man  listened  with  deep  interest  to  the  plans  of  Mr. 
Hunt's  proposed  journey  through  the  wilderness  to  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific,  and  his  eye  kindled  with  the  fire  of 
youth  as  he  hearkened  to  the  story  which  Mr.  Hunt  had  to 
tell,  and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  regret  that  he  realized  that 
he  was  too  old  to  join  the  party.  This  same  journal  notes 
the  meeting  with  another  remarkable  character  the  day 
after  the  encounter  with  Daniel  Boone,  and  this  was  John 
Colter,  of  whose  experiences  in  Wyoming  I  have  related  to 
my  readers  in  a  previous  chapter.  Colter  remained  with  the 
party  several  hours,  during  which  time  he  gave  much  valu- 
able information  to  Mr.  Hunt  regarding  the  Blackfeet  In- 
dians, through  whose  country  the  expedition  would  be 
obliged  to  pass. 

After  Mr.  Hunt's  arrival  at  the  winter  encampment, 
preparations  were  made  for  the  journey  up  the  Missouri. 
There  were  now  about  sixty  persons  in  the  party,  and  of 
these,  forty  were  Canadian  voyageurs  and  a  full  comple- 
ment of  hunters.  The  expedition  was  composed  of  four 
boats  fitted  with  oars  and  sails.    The  largest  boat  contained 


So  History  of  Wyoming- 

a  swivel  gun  and  four  howitzers.  On  the  28th  of  April,  1811, 
they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  River,  where  Omaha 
now  stands.  Could  they  have  known  the  many  hardships 
they  would  escape  by  following  the  Platte  River  west  they 
certainly  would  have  adopted  this  route,  but  as  it  was  they 
were  bent  on  following  in  the  footsteps  of  Lewis  and  Clark, 
which  led  them  many  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  north,  and 
consequently  added  greatly  to  their  journey. 

During  the  balance  of  the  month  of  April  and  all  of 
the  month  of  May  they  worked  their  way  up  the  Missouri, 
and  on  the  11th  of  June  encamped  on  an  island  six  miles 
below  the  Arickara  village.  The  next  day  they  went  up  to 
this  village,  where  they  remained  until  the  18th  of  July, 
trading  with  the  Indians  for  a  supply  of  horses.  Mr.  Hunt 
determined  to  leave  the  river  at  this  point,  so  as  to  avoid 
hostile  Indians.  It  should  be  here  mentioned  that  the  party 
had  been  joined  lower  down  on  the  river  by  Benjamin  Jones 
and  Alexander  Carson,  two  experienced  trappers  who  had 
passed  two  years  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri  and 
were  now  on  their  way  to  St.  Louis.  They  were  easily  per- 
suaded to  enter  the  employ  of  Mr.  Hunt  and  go  with  him 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  A  few  days  after  this  acqui- 
sition three  more  all-around  hunters  and  men  of  reputation 
in  the  mountains,  as  well  as  lower  down  the  river,  joined  the 
party.  These  men  were  Edward  Robinson,  John  Hoback 
and  Jacob  Rizner.  The  three  had  been  in  the  employ  of  the 
Missouri  Fur  Company  and  had  seen  much  service.  Robin- 
son was  sixty  years  old  and  had  been  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  Kentucky.  He  had  been  in  many  Indian  fights  in  the 
Blue  Grass  country,  and  in  one  of  these  battles  had  had  the 
misfortune  to  be  scalped.  He  wore  a  handkerchief  tied  on 
his  head  to  take  the  place  of  the  scalp  lock. 

The  village  of  the  Arickaras  was  located  near  where 
Pierre,  S.  D.,  now  stands.  On  the  18th  of  July,  Mr.  Hunt 
and  his  party,  composed  of  sixty  men  with  a  full  pack  train, 
took  up  their  line  of  march  to  the  northwest,  but  soon 
changed  their  course,  keeping  to  the  southwest,  as  they 
desired  to  avoid  every  possible  chance  of  contact  with  the 


The  Astoria  Expedition.  8i 

Blackfeet.  On  the  23rd  they  encamped  on  Big  River  (Big 
Cheyenne),  where  they  remained  until  the  6th  of  August, 
going  in  a  southwesterly  direction.  In  due  course  of  time 
they  came  to  the  Little  Powder  crossing,  in  what  is  now 
Crook  County.  They  kept  on  across  what  is  known  today 
as  Johnson  County,  intending  to  cross  the  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains, and  made  their  first  attempt  at  a  point  a  little 
southwest  of  where  the  City  of  Buffalo  is  now  located.  They 
had  reached  the  country  of  the  Crows,  and  the  services  of 
Edward  Rose  were  to  be  called  into  requisition  as  interpre- 
ter, but  instead  of  being  of  service  to  the  party,  it  soon  de- 
veloped that  this  unpromising  individual  had  a  plan  of  his 
own.  One  night  after  they  had  gone  into  camp,  Mr.  Hunt 
was  visited  privately  in  his  tent  by  one  of  the  men,  who  dis- 
closed to  him  that  Rose  had  organized  a  party  consisting  of 
several  of  the  men  who  were  to  leave  the  expedition  and 
desert  to  the  Crow  tribe,  taking  with  them  a  number  of 
horses,  together  with  a  considerable  portion  of  the  merchan- 
dise. Rose  had  revealed  to  his  conspirators  that  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  leading  chiefs  of  the  Crow  nation 
and  that  he  could  guarantee  to  them  not  only  good"  treat- 
ment among  the  Indians,  but  each  of  them  should  have  the 
daughter  of  a'  chief  for  a  wife  and  become  great  men  in  the 
Crow  nation,  as  the  goods  they  carried  with  them  would 
make  them  rich  and  respected.  Mr,  Hunt  was  also  in- 
formed that  this  man  Rose  had  formerly  belonged  to  a  gang 
of  pirates  who  had  infested  the  Mississippi.  Mr.  Hunt,  real- 
izing that  he  was  surrounded  with  great  danger,  not  only 
from  the  savage  tribe  in  whose  country  he  was,  but  from 
a  conspiracy  among  his  own  followers,  resolved  to  make  no 
outward  sign,  and  yet  he  would  keep  a  vigilant  watch  on 
Rose  and  those  of  the  men  who  were  considered  to  be  in 
league  with  him.  They  soon  met  a  band  of  the  Crow  tribe, 
when  Mr.Hunt  informed  Rose  that  having  engaged  him  prin- 
cipally as  guide  and  interpreter  among  the  Crows,  he  could 
dispense  with  his  services  after  that  duty  was  performed, 
and  he  accordingly  paid  him  a  half  year's  wages  in  consid- 
-eration  of  his  discharge,  presented  him  with  a  horse,  three 

-(6) 


82  History  of  Wyoming- 

beaver  traps  and  a  quantity  of  merchandise.  This  treat- 
ment had  a  wonderful  effect  on  the  outlaw,  and  his  deport- 
ment underwent  a  radical  change.  His  dark  visage  cleared 
up,  he  left  off  his  sullen  skulking  habits  and  made  no  fur- 
ther attempts  to  tamper  with  the  weak-minded  individuals 
with  whom  he  had  been  conspiring,  and  a  few  days  after- 
wards Rose  departed  from  the  camp  with  a  band  of  Crow 
friends.  The  party  made  an  attempt  to  cross  the  Big  Horn 
range  in  several  places,  but  at  each  place  they  were  met  by 
insurmountable  barriers;  but  keeping  along  to  the  south 
they  finally  found  an  opening  through  which  they  passed, 
and  came  out  upon  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Big  Horn 
River  running  north,  which  must  have  been  the  No  Wood. 
It  is  diflScult  to  trace  them  from  their  first  entrance  into 
what  is  now  Wyoming.  Governor  William  A.  Richards, 
who  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  topography  of  the 
state,  says  that  the  expedition  must  have  passed  up  the 
middle  fork  of  the  Powder  and  through  the  pass  at  the  head 
of  that  river  which  leads  to  the  No  Wood,  and  it  is  his  opin- 
ion that  their  first  camp  on  this  stream  was  within  the  con- 
fines of  his  own  farm,  now  known  as  Red  Bank.  From  this 
point  they  went  up  the  Big  Horn  and  finally  reached  Big 
Wind  River. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Mr.  Hunt  left  Arickara  on 
the  Missouri  on  July  18,  and  fifty-eight  days  later  we  find 
that  he  has  only  reached  the  Big  Wind  River,  up  which 
stream  he  is  told  by  his  hunters  and  guides  he  will  find  a 
short  cut  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Columbia.  Following  up 
the  Big  Wind  River,  he  crossed  numerous  streams  which 
flowed  into  the  main  river.  After  crossing  and  re-crossing 
this  stream  many  times,  they  at  last  reached  a  point  above 
Horse  Creek,  near  the  present  location  of  Dubois,  and  find- 
ing a  well-beaten  Indian  trail  which  led  through  what  is 
now  known  as  Sheridan  Pass,  they  slowly  made  their  way 
across  the  mountains.  In  the  course  of  the  day  they  report 
that  they  came  to  a  height  that  commanded  an  almost 
boundless  prospect.  At  this  point  one  of  the  guides  trium- 
phantly pointed  out  three  mountain  peaks  glistening  with 


The  Astoria  Expedition.  83 

snow.  These,  he  said,  rose  above  a  fork  of  the  Columbia 
River.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  tired  travelers  shouted  for 
joy  as  they  beheld  these  lofty  mountain  peaks.  It  seemed 
to  them  that  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  were  almost  in  sight, 
but  yet  there  were  hundreds  of  leagues  between  them  and 
their  destination.  These  glistening  mountains,  Mr.  Hunt 
was  told,  were  landmarks  which  denoted  the  source  of  the 
Columbia.  He  christened  them  Pilot  Knobs.  They  were 
in  reality  the  Grand  Tetons,  and  are  among  the  highest 
points  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  loftiest  one  being  13,762 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  party  continued  on 
through  the  pass,  on  the  highest  points  of  which  they  en- 
countered patches  of  snow.  At  length  they  reached  a  stream 
flowing  to  the  west,  down  which  they  followed  with  light 
hearts  and  eager  footsteps,  but  it  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Spanish  River,  so  called  by  hunters,  as 
the  Indians  reported  that  the  Spaniards  lived  down  the  river. 
This  was  in  reality  Green  River,  so  named  by  General  Ash- 
ley eleven  years  later.  Mr.  Hunt's  party  was  greatly 
cheered  by  a  sight  of  the  grassy  valleys  found  along  this 
stream,  and  to  their  joy  they  discovered  herds  of  buffalo 
quietly  grazing  in  the  rich  meadows.  The  hunters  sallied 
forth  with  much  enthusiasm  and  with  little  diflSculty  soon 
captured  an  abundant  supply  of  meat,  an  article  they  were 
very  much  in  need  of,  as  famine  stared  them  in  the  face,  and 
no  game  had  been  obtainable  for  more  than  a  week.  Mr. 
Hunt  makes  the  record  in  his  journal  of  that  day  ''that  he 
had  discovered  three  different  kinds  of  gooseberries,  the 
yellow,  the  deep  purple  and  the  common  purple;  also  three 
kinds  of  currants."  His  journal  reads  that  they  continued 
down  the  course  of  this  river  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  to 
the  southwest,  where  they  camped  opposite  the  end  of  a 
mountain  on  the  west,  and  the  following  morning  they 
changed  their  course,  going  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
a  distance  of  eight  miles  and  encamped  on  a  tributary  of 
Spanish  River,  which  Mr.  Hunt  said  ran  through  rich  mead- 
ows which  afforded  pasture  for  numerous  herds  of  buffalo. 
Here  they  remained  several  days,  replenishing  their  stock 


84  History  of  Wyoming- 

of  provisions  with  dried  buffalo  meat.  In  his  opinion  they 
had  a  suflScient  supply  to  last  them  until  they  should  reach 
the  Columbia,  from  which  stream  they  expected  to  procure 
fish  enough  for  the  support  of  the  party.  While  the  hunting 
of  the  buffalo  and  the  preparing  of  the  meat  was  going  on 
their  horses  were  getting  a  much  needed  rest.  The  ani- 
mals were  certainly  in  a  jaded  condition,  having  traveled 
for  seventeen  days  and  accomplished  260  miles  with  scanty 
feed  by  the  way.  What  happened  after  this  is  told  by 
Washington  Irving,  the  facts  being  taken  from  Mr.  Hunt's 
journal,  to  which  Irving  had  access.  I  will  remark  here 
that  the  Mad  River  spoken  of  is  Snake  River,  and  the  other 
river  recognized  by  Hoback,  the  hunter  and  guide,  is  the 
present  Hoback  River,  marked  on  the  map  of  Wyoming. 


Astorians  in  Wyoming.  85 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ASTORIANS  IN  WYOMING. 

Hunt  and  His  Party  Follow  Down  the  Mad  (Snake)  River — They 
Reach  Henry's  Fort — Build  Canoes  and  Attempt  the  Further 
Journey  by  Water — Three  Hundred  and  Forty  Miles  Below, 
Again  Take  to  the  Land — Great  Sufferings  of  the  Party 
Through  Hunger  and  Cold — At  Last  Reach  the  Falls  of  the 
Columbia — Balance  of  the  Journey  Made  by  Canoes — Arrival 
AT  Astoria. 

From  this  on  there  is  no  difficulty  in  following  Mr.  Hunt 
on  his  journey  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River.  Wash- 
ington Irving  says: 

"Five  days  were  passed  by  Mr.  Hunt  and  his  com- 
panions in  the  fresh  meadows  watered  by  the  bright  little 
mountain  stream.  The  hunters  made  great  havoc  among 
the  buffaloes,  and  brought  in  quantities  of  meat;  the  voy- 
ageurs  busied  themselves  about  the  fires,  roasting  or  stewing 
for  present  purposes,  or  drying  provisions  for  the  journey; 
the  pack  horses,  eased  of  their  burdens,  rolled  on  the  grass 
or  grazed  at  large  about  the  ample  pastures;  those  of  the 
party  who  had  no  call  upon  their  services  indulged  in  the 
luxury  of  perfect  relaxation,  and  the  camp  presented  a  pic- 
ture of  rude  feasting  and  revelry,  of  mingled  bustle  and 
repose,  characteristic  of  a  halt  in  a  real  hunting  country. 
In  the  course  of  one  of  their  excursions  some  of  the  men 
came  in  sight  of  a  small  party  of  Indians,  who  instantly 
fled  in  apparent  consternation.  They  immediately  returned 
to  the  camp  with  the  intelligence;  upon  which  Mr.  Hunt  and 
four  others  flung  themselves  upon  their  horses  and  sallied 
forth  to  reconnoitre.  After  riding  for  about  eight  miles 
they  came  upon  a  wild  mountain  scene.  A  lovely  green  val- 
ley stretched  before  them,  surrounded  by  rugged  heights. 
A  herd  of  buffalo  were  careering  through  it,  with  a  troop 
of  savage  horsemen  in  full  chase,  plying  them  with  their 
bows  and  arrows.  The  appearance  of  Mr.  Hunt  and  his 
companions  put  an  abrupt  end  to  the  hunt;  the  buffalo  scut- 
tled off  in  one  direction,  while  the  Indians  plied  their  lashes 
and  galloped  off  in  another,  as  fast  as  their  steeds  could 


86  History  of  Wyoming- 

carry  them.  Mr.  Hunt  gave  chase ;  there  was  a  sharp  scam- 
per, though  of  short  continuance.  Two  young  Indians,  who 
were  indifferently  mounted,  were  soon  overtaken.  They 
were  terribly  frightened,  and  evidently  gave  themselves 
up  for  lost.  By  degrees  their  fears  were  allayed  by  kind 
treatment;  but  they  continued  to  regard  the  strangers  with 
a  mixture  of  awe  and  wonder;  for  it  was  the  first  time  in 
their  lives  they  had  seen  a  white  man. 

"They  belonged  to  a  party  of  Snakes  who  had  come 
across  the  mountains  on  their  autumnal  hunting  excursion 
to  provide  buffalo  meat  for  the  winter.  Being  persuaded  of 
the  peaceable  intentions  of  Mr.  Hunt  and  his  companions, 
they  willingly  conducted  them  to  their  camp.  It  was  pitched 
in  a  narrow  valley  on  the  margin  of  a  stream.  The  tents 
were  of  dressed  skins,  some  of  them  fantastically  painted, 
with  horses  grazing  about  them.  The  approach  of  the  party 
caused  a  transient  alarm  in  the  camp,  for  these  poor  Indiana 
were  ever  on  the  lookout  for  cruel  foes.  No  sooner,  however, 
did  they  recognize  the  garb  and  complexion  of  their  visitors 
than  their  apprehensions  were  changed  into  joy;  for  some  of 
them  had  dealt  with  white  men,  and  knew  them  to  be  friend- 
ly, and  to  abound  with  articles  of  singular  value.  They 
welcomed  them,  therefore,  to  their  tents,  set  food  before 
them  and  entertained  them  to  the  best  of  their  power. 

"They  had  been  successful  in  their  hunt,  and  the  camp 
was  full  of  jerked  buffalo  meat,  all  of  the  choicest  kind  and 
extremely  fat.  Mr.  Hunt  purchased  enough  of  them,  in 
addition  to  what  had  been  killed  and  cured  by  his  own  hunt- 
ers, to  load  all  the  horses  excepting  those  reserved  for  the 
partners  and  the  wife  of  Pierre  Dorion.  He  found  also  a 
few  beaver  skins  in  their  camp,  for  which  he  paid  liberally, 
as  an  inducement  for  them  to  hunt  for  more,  informing  them 
that  some  of  his  party  intended  to  live  among  the  mountains 
and  trade  with  the  native  hunters  for  their  peltries.  The 
poor  Snakes  soon  comprehended  the  advantages  thus  held 
out  to  them,  and  promised  to  exert  themselves  to  procure 
a  quantity  of  beaver  skins  for  future  traffic. 

"Being  now  well  supplied  with  provisions,  Mr.  Hunt 
broke  up  his  encampment  on  the  24th  of  September  and  con- 
tinued on  to  the  west.  A  march  of  fifteen  miles,  over  a 
mountainous  ridge,  brought  them  to  a  stream  about  fifty 
feet  in  width,  which  Hoback,  one  of  their  guides,  who  had 
trapped  about  the  neighborhood  when  in  the  service  of  Mr. 
Henry,  recognized  as  one  of  the  headwaters  of  the  Colum. 
bia.    The  travelers  hailed  it  with  delight,  as  the  first  stream 


Astorians  in  Wyommg.  87 

they  had  encountered  tending  toward  their  point  of  destina- 
tion. They  kept  along  it  for  two  days,  during  which,  from 
the  contribution  of  many  rills  and  brooks,  it  gradually 
swelled  into  a  small  river.  As  it  meandered  among  rocks 
and  precipices,  they  were  frequently  obliged  to  ford  it,  and 
such  was  its  rapidity  that  the  men  were  often  in  danger  of 
being  swept  away.  Sometimes  the  banks  advanced  so  close 
upon  the  river  that  they  were  obliged  to  scramble  up  and 
down  their  rugged  promontories,  or  to  skirt  along  their 
bases  where  there  was  scarce  a  foothold.  Their  horses  had 
dangerous  falls  in  some  of  these  passes.  One  of  them  rolled, 
with  his  load,  nearly  two  hundred  feet  down  hill  into  the 
river,  but  without  receiving  any  injury.  At  length  they 
emerged  from  the  stupendous  defiles,  and  continued  for 
several  miles  along  the  banks  of  Hoback's  River,  through 
one  of  the  stern  mountain  valleys.  Here  it  was  joined  by  a 
river  of  greater  magnitude  and  swifter  current,  and  their 
united  waters  swept  off  through  the  valley  in  one  impetuous 
stream,  which  from  its  rapidity  and  turbulence,  had  received 
the  name  of  Mad  River.  At  the  confluence  of  these  streams 
the  travelers  encamped.  An  important  point  in  their  ardu- 
ous journey  had  been  attained.  A  few  miles  from  their 
camp  rose  the  three  vast  snowy  peaks  called  the  Tetons,  or 
the  Pilot  Knobs,  the  great  landmarks  of  the  Columbia,  by 
which  they  had  shaped  their  course  through  this  mountain 
wilderness.  By  their  feet  flowed  the  rapid  current  of  the 
Mad  River,  a  stream  ample  enough  to  admit  of  the  naviga- 
tion of  canoes,  and  down  which  they  might  possibly  be  able 
to  steer  their  course  to  the  main  body  of  the  Columbia.  The 
Canadian  voyageurs  rejoiced  at  the  idea  of  once  more 
launching  themselves  upon  their  favorite  element;  of  ex- 
changing  their  horses  for  canoes,  and  of  gliding  down  the 
bosoms  of  rivers  instead  of  scrambling  over  the  backs  ot 
mountains.  Others  of  the  party,  also,  inexperienced  in  this 
kind  of  traveling,  considered  their  trials  and  troubles  as 
drawing  to  a  close.  They  had  conquered  the  chief  difficul- 
ties of  this  great  rocky  barrier,  and  now  flattered  themselves 
with  the  hope  of  an  easy  downward  course  for  the  rest  of 
their  journey.  Little  did  they  dream  of  the  hardships  and 
perils,  by  land  and  water,  which  were  yet  to  be  encountered 
in  the  frightful  wilderness  that  intervened  between  them 
and  the  shores  of  the  Pacific." 

It  was  finally  decided  to  construct  canoes  at  this  point 
and  embark  on  the  river,  and  thus  make  their  way  by  water 


88  History  of  Wyoming- 

to  the  Columbia,  and  while  the  canoes  were  being  con- 
structed, Mr.  Hunt  detached  a  party  of  trappers  to  operate 
on  the  upper  waters  of  Mad  Kiver  and  adjacent  branches. 
The  detail  was  made  up  of  Alexander  Carson,  Louis  St. 
Michael,  Pierre  Detaye  and  Pierre  DeLauney.  The  party 
was  fitted  out  with  arms,  ammunition  and  traps  and  in- 
structed to  remain  in  the  country  for  several  months  and 
finally  to  report  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  They  were 
to  pack  their  peltries  on  their  horses  until  they  reached 
an  upper  post  on  the  Columbia,  which  Mr.  Hunt  expected  to 
establish.  Before  trusting  the  expedition  to  the  water, 
John  Day,  John  Reed  and  Peter  Dorion  were  sent  down 
the  river  with  instructions  to  proceed  for  several  days  and 
examine  the  course  and  character  of  the  stream.  After  this 
party  had  departed  on  their  mission,  two  Snake  Indians 
came  into  camp  and  perceiving  the  canoes  in  course  of  con- 
struction shook  their  heads  and  by  unmistakable  signs 
indicated  that  the  river  was  not  navigable.  In  due  course  of 
time  the  three  men  sent  out  to  examine  the  river  came  back 
and  reported  that  it  was  narrow,  crooked  and  contained 
many  rapids.  The  party  then  proceeded  by  land  and  finally 
arrived  at  Henry's  post  on  an  upper  branch  of  the  Columbia,^ 
which  they  reached  on  the  8th  of  October.  Here  another 
party  was  detached  to  hunt  in  the  neighborhood.  This  was 
composed  of  Robinson,  Hoback,  Renzner  and  Cass,  and  they 
were  also  accompanied  by  Mr.  Miller,  one  of  the  partners  in 
the  Pacific  Fur  Company.  At  Fort  Henry,  as  it  was  called, 
they  again  constructed  canoes  and  pushed  on  down  the 
river.  Two  hundred  and  eighty  miles  below  they  encoun- 
tered a  thirty-foot  rapid  in  the  current.  From  that  time  on 
they  had  much  difficulty  in  navigating  the  stream.  The 
portages  were  long,  and  yet  they  disliked  very  much  to  give 
up  their  canoes.  Finally,  after  passing  80  miles  farther, 
that  is  to  say,  340  miles  down  the  river  from  Fort  Henry, 
they  reluctantly  gave  up  the  attempt  to  navigate  the  stream. 
Three  parties  were  here  detached  and  sent  in  different  di- 
rections for  relief.  They  were  to  try  and  discover  friendly 
Indians,  and  if  possible  return  to  the  main  body  with  a  sup- 


Astorians  in  Wyoming.  89 

ply  of  horses  and  provisions;  but  if  they  were  unable  to  do 
this,  they  were  to  keep  in  view  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia 
as  their  final  destination.  McLellan  was  in  charge  of  one 
party,  consisting  of  three  men,  and  these  kept  down  the 
river,  Ramsey  Crooks  with  five  others  started  up  the 
stream,  intending,  should  they  not  find  relief  nearer  at 
hand,  to  keep  on  until  they  reached  Henry's  Fort,  where 
they  hoped  to  find  the  horses  left  there  and  return  with  them 
to  the  main  body.  McKenzie  took  charge  of  the  third  de- 
tachment of  five  men,  and  proceeded  northward  across  the 
desert  in  hopes  of  reaching  the  main  stream  of  the  Columbia. 
Mr.  Hunt,  with  thirty-one  remaining  men,  prepared  caches, 
in  which  he  deposited  his  merchandise  and  baggage  that 
could  not  be  carried  by  land.  Before  this  necessary  work 
was  accomplished.  Crooks  and  his  party  returned.  They 
had  become  disheartened  by  their  retrograde  movement 
and  had  made  up  their  minds  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  reach  Fort  Henry  and  return  that  winter.  Some  days 
later  two  of  the  men  under  McLellan  returned  to  camp  and 
reported  that  there  was  no  hope  of  the  expedition  going  by 
canoes  from  any  point  down  the  river;  that  they  had  met 
no  Indians,  and  the  stream  presented  the  same  furious  as- 
pect, brawling  and  boiling  between  rocks  and  high  walls; 
therefore  the  expedition  moved  forward  on  foot,  and  in  their 
displeasure  they  named  the  camp  which  they  were  leaving 
"The  Devil's  Scuttle  Hole."  They  were  yet  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  A  dreary  waste  lay 
before  them,  and  for  fear  of  perishing  for  the  want  of  water 
they  resolved  to  keep  near  the  Snake  River  and  push  on. 
The  party  was  again  divided,  with  the  idea  of  bettering 
their  chances  of  subsistence.  Mr,  Hunt,  with  eighteen  men, 
proceeded  down  the  north  side  of  the  river,  while  Crooks 
with  a  like  number  kept  along  the  south  side.  The  day  that 
the  separation  took  place  was  the  9th  of  October.  The  two 
parties  went  on,  and  after  suffering  with  cold  and  hunger, 
and  being  reduced  to  the  point  of  starvation,  often  being 
without  food  three  days  at  a  time,  they  at  last  came  among 
friendly  Indians,  who  supplied  their  wants,  but  they  sub- 


90  History  of  Wyoming- 

sisted  principally  upon  horseflesh  and  dogmeat.  On  the  31st 
of  January,  1812,  they  arrived  at  the  falls  of  the  Columbia. 
Here  they  procured  canoes,  and  on  February  15th  arrived  at 
Astoria. 

This  expedition  of  the  Astorians  was  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  on  record;  it  had  pursued  a  route  through  a 
wilderness  never  trod  by  white  men  before,  but  they  blazed 
the  way  across  the  continent  which  proved  vastly  beneficial 
to  succeeding  travelers.  Yet  we  are  not  through  with 
them  as  explorers,  for  they  are  to  make  another  trip  through 
Wyoming  and  discover  a  route  by  which  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  their  countrymen  later  crossed  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. 

The  colossal  operations  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  as  we 
have  seen,  possess  national  importance.  He  it  was  who 
developed,  in  spite  of  disaster,  the  American  fur  trade,  turn- 
ing it  into  American  channels,  and  thus  encouraged  Ashley, 
Bridger,  the  five  Sublette  brothers,  Robert  Campbell,  Thom- 
as Fitzpatrick,  Pierre  Chouteau,  Bonneville  and  a  host  of 
other  worthies  to  trap  and  trade  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 


Conditions  at  Astoria.  91 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CONDITIONS  AT  ASTORIA.  _ 

Arrival  of  the  Tonquin — David  Stuart's  Expedition  to  Establish 
A  New  Trading  Post — David  Thompson  of  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany Comes  Down  the  Columbia  to  Plant  the  British  Flag  at 
the  Mouth  of  that  River,  But  Is  Too  Late— Disaster  to  the 
Tonquin  and  the  Murder  of  Her  Crew  by  Indians — Mr.  Lewis' 
Terrible  Revenge — Indians  at  Astoria  Held  in  Check  by  Threats 
of  Spreading  the  Smallpox  Among  Them — Arrival  of  the  Bea- 
ver from  New  York — Departure  of  Hunt  for  New  Archangel 
AND  The  Sandwich  Islands — Treachery  of  McDougal — Abandon- 
ment OF  Astoria. 

As  the  building  of  the  Fort,  called  Astoria,  has  a  bear- 
ing on  future  events  in  Wyoming,  let  me  pursue  the  history 
of  Mr,  Astor's  operations  in  that  quarter.  I  have  already  in 
a  previous  chapter  mentioned  the  departure  of  the  Tonquin 
from  New  York,  bound  for  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  with 
supplies  for  the  trading  post  to  be  established  there.  With- 
out going  into  details  of  the  voyage,  I  will  say  that  the  vessel 
arrived  in  the  waters  of  the  Columbia  on  March  22nd,  1811, 
and  after  various  adventures  and  the  loss  of  several  men 
they  succeeded  in  making  a  landing  and  selecting  a  site  for 
a  trading  post,  which  they  built.  After  the  landing  of  the 
stores,  Mr.  McDougal,  who  has  been  mentioned  in  a  previous 
chapter,  took  charge  until  Mr.  Hunt  should  arrive,  and  the 
Tonquin  sailed  north  to  trade  on  the  coast  at  the  different 
harbors  and  to  touch  at  Astoria  on  her  return  voyage.  On 
the  first  of  June  the  ship  sailed  away,  never  to  return. 
About  this  time  word  was  brought  to  the  fort  at  Astoria  by 
an  Indian  from  the  upper  part  of  the  river  that  thirty  white 
men  belonging  to  the  Northwest  Fur  Company  had  appeared 
on  the  banks  of  the  Columbia,  at  the  second  rapids,  and  were 
actually  building  homes  there.  This  news  disturbed  the  As- 
torians,  and  to  counteract  the  effect  of  this  British  estab- 
lishment, David  Stuart,  with  nine  men  under  him,  was  dis- 


92  History  of  Wyoming- 

patched  to  the  Spokane  River  to  establish  a  post  and  re- 
main there,  provided  he  found  the  situation  advantageous 
and  the  natives  friendly.  Before  the  expedition  was  ready 
to  leave  for  its  destination,  a  canoe  arrived,  on  board  of 
which  was  David  Thompson,  a  partner  of  the  Northwest 
Company,  who  stated  that  he  had  started  out  the  preceding 
year  with  a  strong  party  and  a  supply  of  Indian  goods  to 
cross  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  that  all  except  eight  of 
his  people  had  deserted  him  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  mountains  and  returned  with  the  goods  to  the 
nearest  Northwest  post.  They  had  wintered  in  the 
mountains,  and  in  the  spring  had  built  the  cedar  canoe 
and  proceeded  down  the  Columbia.  This  in  fact  was 
an  expedition  sent  out  by  the  Northwest  Company  in 
the  name  of  the  British  Government  to  take  possession 
of  the  valley  of  the  Columbia.  Mr.  Thompson  carried 
the  British  standard  in  his  canoe,  intending  to  plant  it 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  but  much  to  his  chagrin 
he  found  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  from  a  flagstaff  on 
the  fort.  Astor's  expedition  had  effected  a  lodgement  on 
the  western  coast,  and  to  every  appearance  the  fort  had 
come  to  stay.  Much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  other  partners, 
McDougal  invited  Thompson  to  the  headquarters  and  roy- 
ally entertained  him  and  his  people,  and  he  also  furnished 
him  with  provisions  for  his  return  journey  across  the  moun. 
tains.  David  Stuart,  who  was  about  to  go  up  the  river 
to  establish  a  post,  remonstrated  with  McDougal  for  this 
liberality  toward  the  representative  of  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany and  the  British  Government  by  saying  that  he  did  not 
think  the  object  of  his  visit  entitled  him  to  any  favor,  but 
McDougal  having  been  associated  in  former  years  with  that 
company  felt  a  friendship  for  it,  and  subsequent  events 
proved  that  his  friendship  was  stronger  than  his  loyalty  to 
the  company  of  which  he  was  now  a  partner,  and  it  will  be 
shown  later  that  he  was  a  traitor  in  the  camp  of  the  brave 
Americans  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia. 

On  the  23rd  of  July,  David  Stuart  and  his  nine  com. 
panions  started  up  the  river  to  build  their  trading  post,  and 


Conditions  at  Astoria.  95 

Thompson  and  his  associates  followed  him,  being  on  their 
way  to  Montreal.  The  two  expeditions  kei)t  together  for 
three  or  four  hundred  miles.  Stuart  finally  located  a  post 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Oakanogan  where  it  empties  into  the 
Columbia.  After  the  sailing  of  the  Tonquin  and  the  de- 
parture of  Stuart,  there  came  a  whisper  that  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  locality  had  combined  to  make  an  attack  on 
the  post  at  Astoria.  Learning  of  this,  the  small  garrison 
fortified  their  position  and  mounted  four  guns  on  the  two 
bastions  of  the  fort.  They  qualified  themselves  for  military 
duty  by  daily  drills,  and  kept  a  guard  posted  day  and  night, 
in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  hold  out  until  Mr.  Hunt  and 
his  party  should  arrive  down  the  Columbia,  or  until  Captain 
Thorn  returned  with  the  Tonquin ;  but  a  few  days  after,  the 
party  at  the  fort  learned  from  Indian  sources  that  disaster 
had  overtaken  the  Tonquin.  This  report  was  not  at  first 
credited,  but  it  was  later  confirmed.  The  Tonquin,  it  will 
be  remembered,  sailed  from  Astoria  the  first  of  June,  but 
did  not  leave  the  mouth  of  that  river  until  the  fifth  of  the 
month.  There  were  twenty-three  persons  on  board  the  ves- 
sel, but  in  one  of  the  outer  bays  they  picked  up  another,  an 
Indian  named  Lamazee,  who  had  already  made  two  voyages 
along  the  coast,  and  as  he  knew  something  of  the  various 
tribes  and  their  languages,  he  was  engaged  for  the  voyage 
to  act  as  interpreter.  The  vessel  steered  to  the  north,  arriv- 
ing in  a  few  days  at  Vancouver's  Island,  and  there  visited 
the  harbor  of  Neweetee,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  the  Indian 
interpreter,  who  claimed  that  the  natives  of  this  part  of  the 
coast  were  of  dangerous  character  and  should  be  avoided. 
In  spite  of  the  advice.  Captain  Thorn  anchored  his  ves- 
sel and  numerous  natives  came  off  in  canoes  laden  with 
skins  of  the  sea  otter,  which  they  offered  for  sale.  It  being 
late  in  the  afternoon,  Captain  Thorn  refused  to  commence 
traffic  that  day,  but  asked  the  natives  to  return  in  the  morn- 
ing. Mr.  McKay,  the  super-cargo,  taking  with  him  a  number 
of  men,  went  on  shore  to  visit  the  village  of  Wicananish, 
the  chief  of  the  tribe  in  that  territory.  Captain  Thorn  had 
retained  on  board  his  vessel  six  of  the  natives  as  hostages 


94  History  of  Wyoming- 

tor  the  safe  return  of  the  white  men.  The  McKay  party,  as 
the  story  was  afterwards  told,  was  received  in  a  friendly 
manner  and  entertained  at  the  lodge  of  the  chief,  where  they 
spent  the  night.  What  followed  is  told  in  graphic  language 
by  Washington  Irving. 

"In  the  morning,  before  Mr.  McKay  had  returned  to  the 
ship,  great  numbers  of  the  natives  came  off  in  their  canoes 
to  trade,  headed  by  two  sons  of  Wicananish.  As  they 
brought  abundance  of  sea  otter  skins,  and  there  was  every 
appearance  of  a  brisk  trade.  Captain  Thorn  did  not  wait  for 
the  return  of  Mr.  McKay,  but  spread  his  wares  upon  deck, 
making  a  tempting  display  of  blankets,  cloths,  knives,  beads 
and  fish  hooks,  expecting  a  prompt  and  profitable  sale. 
The  Indians,  however,  were  not  so  eager  and  simple  as  he 
had  supposed,  having  learned  the  art  of  bargaining  and  the 
value  of  merchandise  from  the  casual  traders  along  the 
coast.  They  were  guided,  too,  by  a  shrewd  old  chief  named 
Nookamis,  who  had  grown  gray  in  the  traffic  with  New 
England  skippers  and  prided  himself  upon  his  acuteness. 
His  opinion  seemed  to  regulate  the  market.  When  Captain 
Thorn  made  what  he  considered  a  liberal  offer  for  an  otter 
skin,  the  wily  old  Indian  treated  it  with  scorn,  and  asked 
more  than  double.  His  comrades  all  took  their  cue  from 
him,  and  not  an  otter  skin  was  to  be  had  at  a  reasonable 
rate.  The  old  fellow,  however,  overshot  his  mark  and  mis- 
took the  character  of  the  man  with  whom  he  was  treating. 
Thorn  was  a  plain,  straightforward  sailor,  who  never  had 
two  minds  nor  two  prices  in  his  dealings,  was  deficient  in 
patience  and  pliancy,  and  totally  wanting  in  the  chicanery 
of  traffic.  He  had  a  vast  deal  of  stern  but  honest  pride  in 
his  nature,  and,  moreover,  held  the  savage  race  in  sov- 
ereign contempt.  Abandoning  all  further  attempts,  there- 
fore, to  bargain  with  his  shuffling  customers,  he  thrust  his 
hands  into  his  pockets  and  paced  up  and  down  the  deck  in 
sullen  silence.  The  cunning  old  Indian  followed  him  to  and 
fro,  holding  out  a  sea  otter  skin  to  him  at  every  turn,  and 
pestering  him  to  trade.  Finding  other  means  unavailing, 
he  suddenly  changed  his  tone,  and  began  to  jeer  and  banter 
him  upon  the  mean  prices  he  offered.  This  was  too  much 
for  the  patience  of  the  captain,  who  was  never  remarkable 
for  relishing  a  joke,  especially  when  at  his  own  expense. 
Turning  suddenly  upon  his  persecutor,  he  snatched  the  prof- 
fered otter  skin  from  his  hands,  rubbed  it  in  his  face,  and 
dismissed  him  over  the  side  of  the  ship  with  no  very  compli- 


Conditions  at  Astoria.  95 

mentary  application  to  accelerate  his  exit.  He  then  kicked 
the  peltries  to  right  and  left  about  the  deck  and  broke  up 
the  market  in  the  most  ignominious  manner.  Old  Nookamis 
made  for  the  shore  in  a  furious  passion,  in  which  he  was 
joined  by  Shewish,  one  of  the  sons  of  Wicananish,  who 
went  off  breathing  vengeance,  and  the  ship  was  soon  aban- 
doned by  the  natives. 

"When  Mr.  McKay  returned  on  board,  the  interpreter 
related  what  had  passed,  and  begged  him  to  prevail  upon 
the  captain  to  make  sail,  as  from  his  knowledge  of  the  tem- 
per and  pride  of  the  people  of  the  place,  he  was  sure  they 
would  resent  the  indignity  offered  to  one  of  their  chiefs. 
Mr.  McKay,  who  himself  possessed  some  experience  of  the 
Indian  character,  went  to  the  captain,  who  was  still  pacing 
the  deck  in  a  moody  humor,  represented  the  danger  to  which 
his  hasty  act  had  exposed  the  vessel,  and  urged  him  to  weigh 
anchor.  The  captain  made  light  of  his  counsels,  and  pointed 
to  his  cannon  and  firearms  as  a  sufficient  safeguard  against 
naked  savages.  Further  remonstrances  only  provoked 
taunting  replies  and  sharp  altercations.  The  day  passed 
away  without  any  signs  of  hostility,  and  at  night  the  cap- 
tain retired  as  usual  to  his  cabin,  taking  no  more  than  usual 
precautions.  On  the  following  morning,  at  day-break,  while 
the  captain  and  Mr.  McKay  were  yet  asleep,  a  canoe  came 
alongside,  in  which  were  twenty  Indians,  commanded  by 
young  Shewish.  They  were  unarmed,  their  aspect  and  de- 
meanor friendly,  and  they  held  up  otter  skins,  and  made 
signs  indicative  of  a  wish  to  trade.  The  caution  enjoined  by 
Mr.  Astor,  in  respect  to  the  admission  of  Indians  on  board  of 
the  ship,  had  been  neglected  for  some  time  past,  and  the 
officer  of  the  watch,  perceiving  those  in  the  canoe  to  be 
without  weapons,  and  having  received  no  orders  to  the  con- 
trary, readily  permitted  them  to  mount  the  deck.  Another 
crew  soon  succeeded,  the  crew  of  which  was  likewise  ad- 
mitted. In  a  little  while  other  canoes  came  off,  and  Indi- 
ans were  soon  clambering  into  the  vessel  on  all  sides. 

"The  officer  of  the  watch  now  felt  alarmed,  and  called 
to  Captain  Thorn  and  Mr.  McKay.  By  the  time  they  came 
on  deck,  it  was  thronged  with  Indians.  The  interpreter 
noticed  to  Mr.  McKay  that  many  of  the  natives  wore  short 
mantles  of  skin,  and  intimated  a  suspicion  that  they  were 
secretly  armed.  Mr.  McKay  urged  the  captain  to  clear  the 
ship  and  get  under  way.  He  again  made  light  of  the  advice; 
but  the  augmented  swarm  of  canoes  about  the  ship,  and  the 
number  still  putting  off  from  shore,  at  length  awakened 


g6  History  of  Wyoming- 

Ms  distrust,  and  he  ordered  some  of  the  men  to  weigh  an- 
chor, while  some  were  sent  aloft  to  make  sail.  The  Indians 
now  offered  to  trade  with  the  captain  on  his  own  terms, 
prompted,  apparently,  by  the  approaching  departure  of  the 
ship.  Accordingly  a  hurried  trade  was  commenced.  The 
main  articles  sought  by  the  savages  in  barter  were  knives. 
As  fast  as  some  were  supplied  they  moved  off  and  others 
succeeded.  By  degrees  they  were  thus  distributed  about 
the  deck,  and  all  with  weapons. 

*'The  anchor  was  now  nearly  up,  the  sails  were  loose, 
and  the  captain  in  a  loud  and  peremptory  tone  ordered  the 
ship  to  be  cleared.  In  an  instant  a  signal  yell  was  given; 
it  was  echoed  on  every  side,  knives  and  war  clubs  were 
brandished  in  every  direction,  and  the  savages  rushed  upon 
their  marked  victims.  The  first  that  fell  was  Mr,  Lewis,  the 
ship's  clerk.  He  was  leaning  with  folded  arms  over  a  bale 
of  blankets,  engaged  in  bargaining,  when  he  received  a 
deadly  stab  in  the  back,  and  fell  down  the  companionway. 

''Mr.  McKay,  who  was  seated  on  the  taffrail,  sprang  on 
his  feet,  but  was  instantly  knocked  down  with  a  war  club 
and  flung  backward  into  the  sea,  where  he  was  dispatched 
by  the  women  in  the  canoes. 

''In  the  meantime,  Captain  Thorn  made  a  desperate 
fight  against  fearful  odds.  He  was  a  powerful  as  well  as  a 
resolute  man,  but  he  had  come  upon  deck  without  weapons. 
Shewish,  the  young  chief,  singled  him  out  as  his  peculiar 
prey,  and  rushed  upon  him  at  the  first  outbreak.  The  cap- 
tain had  barely  time  to  draw  a  clasp-knife,  with  one  blow 
of  which  he  laid  the  young  savage  dead  at  his  feet.  Several 
of  the  stoutest  followers  of  Shewish  now  set  upon  him.  He 
defended  himself  vigorously,  dealing  crippling  blows  to 
right  and  left,  and  strewing  the  quarter  deck  with  the  slain 
and  wounded.  His  object  was  to  fight  his  way  to  the  cabin, 
where  there  were  fire-arms;  but  he  was  hemmed  in  with 
foes,  covered  with  wounds,  and  faint  with  loss  of  blood. 
For  an  instant  he  leaned  upon  the  tiller  wheel,  when  a  blow 
from  behind,  with  a  war-club,  felled  him  to  the  deck,  where 
he  was  dispatched  with  knives  and  thrown  overboard. 

"While  this  was  transacting  upon  the  quarter  deck,  a 
chance-medley  fight  was  going  on  throughout  the  ship.  The 
crew  fought  desperately  with  knives,  hand-spikes  and  what- 
ever weapon  they  could  seize  upon  in  the  moment  of  sur- 
prise. They  were  soon,  however,  overpowered  by  numbers 
and  mercilessly  butchered.  As  to  the  seven  who  had  been 
sent  aloft  to  make  sail,  they  contemplated  with  horror  the 


Conditions  at  Astoria.  97 

carnage  that  was  going  on  below.  Being  destitute  of  wea- 
pons, they  let  themselves  down  by  the  running  rigging,  in 
hopes  of  getting  between  decks.  One  fell  in  the  attemj)t 
and  was  instantly  dispatched;  another  received  a  death  blow 
in  the  back  as  he  was  descending;  a  third,  Stephen  Weeks, 
the  armorer,  was  mortally  wounded  as  he  was  getting  down 
the  hatchway. 

'^The  remaining  four  made  good  their  retreat  into  the 
cabin,  where  they  found  Mr.  Lewis,  still  alive,  though  mor- 
tally wounded.  Barricading  the  cabin  door,  they  broke 
holes  through  the  companionway,  and,  with  the  muskets 
and  ammunition  which  were  at  hand,  opened  a  brisk  fire 
that  soon  cleared  the  deck. 

"Thus  far  the  Indian  interpreter,  from  whom  these 
particulars  are  derived,  had  been  an  eye-witness  of  the 
deadly  conflict.  He  had  taken  no  part  in  it,  and  had  been 
spared  by  the  natives  as  being  of  their  race.  In  the  con- 
fusion of  the  moment  he  took  refuge  with  the  rest,  in  the 
canoes.  The  survivors  of  the  crew  now  sallied  forth  and 
discharged  some  of  the  deck  guns,  which  did  great  execution 
among  the  canoes,  and  drove  all  the  savages  to  shore. 

"For  the  remainder  of  the  day  no  one  ventured  to  put 
off  to  the  ship,  deterred  by  the  effects  of  the  fire-arms.  The 
night  passed  away  without  any  further  attempt  on  the  part 
of  the  natives.  When  day  dawned  the  Tonquin  still  lay  at 
anchor  in  the  bay,  her  sails  all  loose  and  flapping  in  the 
wind,  and  no  one  apparently  on  board  of  her.  After  a  time 
some  of  the  canoes  ventured  forth  to  reconnoitre,  taking 
with  them  the  interpreter.  They  paddled  about  her,  keep- 
ing cautiously  at  a  distance,  but  growing  more  and  more 
emboldened  at  seeing  her  quiet  and  lifeless.  One  man  at 
length  made  his  appearance  on  deck  and  was  recognized  by 
the  interpreter  as  Mr.  Lewis.  He  made  friendly  signs,  and 
invited  them  on  board.  It  was  long  before  they  ventured  to 
comply.  Those  who  mounted  the  deck  met  with  no  opposi- 
tion; no  one  was  to  be  seen  on  board,  for  Mr.  Lewis,  after 
inviting  them,  had  disappeared.  Other  canoes  now  pressed 
forward  to  board  the  prize;  the  decks  were  soon  crowded.and 
the  sides  were  covered  with  clambering  savages,  all  intent 
on  plunder.  In  the  midst  of  their  eagerness  and  exultation 
the  ship  blew  up  with  a  tremendous  explosion.  Arms,  legs 
and  mutilated  bodies  were  blown  into  the  air,  and  a  dreadful 
havoc  was  made  in  the  surrounding  canoes.  The  interpreter 
was  in  the  main-chains  at  the  time  of  the  explosion,  and  was 
thrown  unhurt  into  the  water,  where  he  succeeded  in  get- 

-(7) 


98  History  of  Wyoming- 

ting  into  one  of  the  canoes.  According  to  his  statement, 
the  bay  presented  an  awful  spectacle  after  the  catastrophe. 
The  ship  had  disappeared,  but  the  bay  was  covered  with 
fragments  of  the  wreck,  with  shattered  canoes,  and  Indians 
swimming  for  their  lives,  or  struggling  in  the  agonies  of 
death,  while  those  who  had  escaped  the  danger  remained 
aghast  and  stupefied,  or  made  with  frantic  panic  for  the 
shore.  Upward  of  a  hundred  savages  were  destroyed  by  the 
explosion,  many  more  were  shockingly  mutilated,  and  for 
days  afterward  the  limbs  and  bodies  of  the  slain  were 
thrown  upon  the  beach. 

"The  inhabitants  of  Neweetee  were  overwhelmed  with 
consternation  at  this  astounding  calamity,  which  had  burst 
upon  them  in  the  very  moment  of  triumph.  The  warriors 
sat  mute  and  mournful,  while  the  women  filled  the  air  with 
loud  lamentations.  Their  weeping  and  wailing,  however, 
was  suddenly  changed  into  yells  of  fury  at  the  sight  of  four 
unfortunate  white  men,  brought  captive  into  the  village. 
They  had  been  driven  on  shore  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats, 
and  taken  at  some  distance  along  the  coast, 

"The  interpreter  was  permitted  to  converse  with  them. 
They  proved  to  be  the  four  brave  fellows  who  had  made 
such  a  desperate  defense  from  the  cabin.  The  interpreter 
gathered  from  them  some  of  the  particulars  already  related. 
They  told  him  further,  that,  after  they  had  beaten  off  the 
enemy  and  cleared  the  ship,  Lewis  advised  that  they  should 
slip  the  cable  and  endeavor  to  get  to  sea.  They  declined  to 
take  his  advice,  alleging  that  the  wind  set  too  strongly  into 
the  bay,  and  would  drive  them  on  shore.  They  resolved  as 
soon  as  it  was  dark  to  put  off  quietly  in  the  ship's  boat, 
which  they  would  be  able  to  do  unperceived,  and  to  coast 
along  back  to  Astoria.  They  put  their  resolution  into  ef- 
fect, but  Lewis  refused  to  accompany  them,  being  disabled 
by  his  wound,  hopeless  of  escape,  and  determined  on  a  ter- 
rible revenge.  On  the  voyage  out  he  had  repeatedly  ex- 
pressed a  presentiment  that  he  should  die  by  his  own  hands, 
thinking  it  highly  probable  that  he  should  be  engaged  in 
some  contest  with  the  natives,  and  being  resolved,  in  case 
of  extremity,  to  commit  suicide  rather  than  be  made  a  pris- 
oner. He  now  declared  his  intention  to  remain  on  board  of 
the  ship  until  daylight,  to  decoy  as  many  of  the  savages  on 
board  as  possible,  then  to  set  fire  to  the  powder  magazine, 
and  terminate  his  life  by  a  single  act  of  vengeance.  How 
well  he  succeeded  has  been  shown.  His  companions  bade 
him  a  melancholy  adieu,  and  set  off  on  their  precarious  ex- 


Conditions  at  Astoria.  99 

pedition.  They  strove  with  might  and  main  to  get  out  of  the 
bay,  but  found  it  impossible  to  weather  a  point  of  land,  and 
were  at  length  compelled  to  take  shelter  in  a  small  cave, 
where  they  hoped  to  remain  concealed  until  the  wind  should 
be  more  favorable.  Exhausted  by  fatigue  and  watching, 
they  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  and  in  that  state  were  surprised 
by  the  savages.  Better  had  it  been  for  those  unfortunate 
men  had  they  remained  with  Lewis  and  shared  his  heroic 
death;  as  it  was,  they  perished  in  a  more  painful  and  pro- 
ti^cted  manner,  being  sacrificed  by  the  natives  to  the  names 
of  their  friends  with  all  the  lingering  tortures  of  savage 
cruelty.  Some  time  after  their  death,  the  interpreter,  who 
had  remained  a  kind  of  prisoner  at  large,  effected  his  es- 
cape, and  brought  the  tragic  tidings  to  Astoria." 

This  was  the  story  w^hich  greeted  the  ears  of  the  little 
band  of  Astorians.  The  natives  throughout  a  vast  range  of 
country  had  heard  the  tidings  and  its  effect  on  them  could 
only  be  conjectured  by  the  white  people  at  the  fort,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  McDougal,  who  possessed  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  Indian  character,  not  a  white  man  would  have 
been  saved.  A  short  time  before  this  the  smallpox  had  ap- 
peared on  the  Pacific  coast  among  the  Indians  and  the  death 
rate  had  been  fearful.  In  some  instances,  we  are  told,  it 
nearly  swept  off  entire  tribes.  The  superstitious  natives 
were  not  certain  as  to  its  origin.  Some  attributed  it  to  an 
evil  the  "Great  Spirit"  had  inflicted;  others  thought  it  had 
been  brought  about  by  the  white  men.  McDougal,  taking 
advantage  of  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  nature  of  the 
savages,  acted  promptly  and  assembling  a  number  of  chiefs 
whom  he  believed  to  be  in  league  to  murder  the  Astorians, 
and  assembling  them  in  a  room  at  the  fort,  he  told  them  he 
had  heard  of  the  treachery  of  some  of  their  northern  breth- 
ren toward  the  Tonquin  and  its  crew,  and  he  was  deter- 
mined on  vengeance.  This  the  savages  could  understand. 
McDougal  went  on,  "The  white  men  among  you  are  few  in 
number,  but  they  are  mighty  in  medicine.  See  here,"  con- 
tinued he,  drawing  forth  a  small  bottle  and  holding  it  before 
their  eyes,  "in  this  bottle  I  hold  the  smallpox,  safely  corked 
up;  I  have  but  to  draw  the  cork,  and  let  loose  the  pestilence^ 
to  sweep  every  man,  woman  and  child  from  the  face  of  the 


100  History  of  Wyoming- 

earth.'^  The  stratagem  was  successful,  for  it  acted  like 
magic;  the  chiefs  were  horrified  and  greatly  alarmed.  They 
begged  and  implored  him  not  to  uncork  the  bottle,  as  they 
and  their  people  were  the  firmest  friends  of  the  white  man 
and  proposed  to  remain  so.  They  thought  it  unjust  for  him 
to  punish  his  friends  for  what  his  enemies  had  done.  He 
listened  to  their  arguments  and  protestations  of  friendship 
and  finally  told  them  that  as  long  as  they  remained  friendly 
to  the  whites  he  would  keep  the  bottle  corked,  but  he  as- 
sured them  upon  the  least  show  of  hostility,  out  would  come 
the  cork  and  they  would  be  obliged  to  take  the  conse- 
quences, and  thus  was  preserved  the  lives  of  the  first  Ameri- 
cans who  planted  a  trading  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colum- 
bia, and  so  matters  passed  at  Astoria  until  the  arrival  of 
Mr,  Hunt  and  his  party  on  February  15,  1812. 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  another  ship,  the  Beaver, 
had  been  despatched  to  Astoria  by  Mr.  Astor  on  October  10, 
1811,  which  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  and  an- 
chored in  Baker's  Bay  on  May  9,  1812.  After  the  arrival  of 
this  vessel  expeditions  were  sent  out  in  various  directions. 
Mr.  Hunt  sailed  in  the  Beaver  and  made  a  voyage  along  the 
coast  and  visited  the  Russian  establishment  at  New  Arch- 
angel, where  the  vessel  landed  a  quantity  of  supplies  for 
the  commander  of  the  Russian  post  and  took  in  exchange  a 
quantity  of  furs.  The  vessel  then  proceeded  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  where  Mr.  Hunt  remained  to  await  the  annual 
ship  to  Astoria,  while  the  Beaver  proceeded  to  Canton  to 
market  the  furs  and  reload  with  merchandise  at  that  point. 
This  voyage  of  Mr.  Hunt's  consumed  considerable  time,  and 
before  he  returned  to  Astoria  McDougal  closed  out  over 
1100,000  worth  of  furs  to  the  Northwest  Company  for  $40,- 
000;  also  a  large  amount  of  merchandise  at  this  equally 
ruinous  rate.  As  part  of  the  deal,  this  unfaithful  servant 
became  a  partner  of  the  Northwest  Company,  and  conse- 
quently has  gone  down  in  history  as  a  traitor  to  the  Ameri- 
can fur  trade,  and  his  memory  is  justly  despised  by  all 
American  traders  and  trappers.  This  treachery  on  the  part 
of  McDougal  resulted  in  the  abandonment  of  Astoria. 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered. 


CHAPTER  X. 

GREAT  OVERLAND  TRAIL  DISCOVERED. 

Robert  Stuart  and  His  Little  Band  of  Six  Pass  Around  the  South 
End  of  the  Wind  River  Range  During  the  Early  Winter  of 
1812 — Discovery  of  the  Sweetwater  River  and  Passage  Down 
that  Stream — They  Camp  at  Bessemer  for  the  Winter — Leave 
Their  Winter  Camp  for  Fear  of  Indians — Great  Suffering  of 
the  Party  as  They  Journey  Down  the  Platte — Discovery  of 
the  Platte  River  Canon — Second  Winter  Encampment — Journey 
Down  the  River  in  the  Spring  of  1813. 

The  journey  of  the  couriers  from  Astoria  east  was  an 
event  of  no  ordinary  importance  from  the  fact  that  circum- 
stances impelled  these  men  to  make  a  new  route  across  the 
then  dark  continent.  They  were  to  become  the  discoverers 
of  South  Pass,  the  most  important  gateway  through  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  They  were  to  make  the  pathway  between 
the  Missouri  and  the  headwaters  of  the  Columbia  more 
direct  and  consequently  much  shorter  than  the  route  of 
Lewis  and  Clark  or  that  of  Wilson  P.  Hunt.  They  were  to 
discover  the  Sweetwater,  as  well  as  the  North  Platte,  and 
were  to  be  the  first  as  explorers  to  trace  out  a  river  flowing 
to  the  east  directly  from  the  mountains.  The  more  north- 
ern streams  flowed  to  the  north,  but  these  couriers,  who 
were  on  their  way  eastward,  were  to  add  greatly  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  geography  of  the  mid-continent.  It  can  be 
said  of  this  band  of  explorers  that  they  were  brave,  deter- 
mined and  withal  possessed  a  conservative  daring  which 
enabled  them  to  overcome  the  wildness  and  wild  men  of  the 
desert  and  mountains.  The  history  of  their  journey  forms 
an  important  chapter  in  the  annals  of  Wyoming.  At  times, 
it  is  true,  they  were  lost  and  knew  not  in  what  direction  to 
turn  their  footsteps,  but  fortunately  on  such  occasions  their 
brave  leader  argued  with  himself  that  it  would  never  do  to 
falter  and  so  he  led  the  way  along  streams  which  according 


I02  History  of  Wyoming' 

to  his  judgment  were  to  empty  their  waters  finally  into 
the  Missouri  river.  In  spite  of  the  storms  of  winter,  piercing 
cold  and  deep  snows,  there  was  but  one  determination  ever 
present,  and  that  was  to  push  on  and  thereby  save  the  lives 
of  the  men  entrusted  to  his  care.  This  battle  with  the  ele- 
ments and  the  wilderness  has  never  been  excelled  in  this  or 
any  other  century.  In  telling  the  story  for  these  pages,  I 
have  followed  closely  notes  taken  from  the  original  journal 
first  published  by  Washington  Irving. 

Again  Wyoming  is  to  be  honored  by  the  arrival  of  a 
body  of  Astorians.  This  time  they  remain  in  her  borders 
several  months.  On  the  29th  of  June,  1812,  Robert  Stuart, 
Ben  Jones,  Robert  McLellan,  John  Day,  Ramsey  Crooks, 
Andri  Vallar  and  Francis  Le  Clerc  left  Astoria  to  make  the 
journey  across  the  mountains,  bearing  dispatches  to  Mr. 
Astor  at  New  York.  Robert  Stuart,  the  leader  of  the  party, 
was  one  of  the  original  partners  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company, 
which  organization  was  chartered  on  the  23rd  day  of  June, 
1810.  He  was  a  young  man  of  spirit  and  enterprise  and 
was  one  of  the  four  partners  who  embarked  in  the  Tonquin 
on  the  8th  of  September  in  the  year  above  mentioned.  The 
other  three  partners  were  Alexander  McKay,  Duncan  Mc- 
Dougal  and  David  Stuart,  an  uncle  of  Robert.  To  illustrate 
the  sturdy  character  of  this  young  man,  it  will  not  be  out 
of  place  to  relate  an  incident  of  the  voyage.  Captain  Thorn 
of  the  Tonquin  was  a  waspish  individual,  though  thor- 
oughly honest  and  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  his  em- 
ployers. He  was  not  a  partner  in  the  enterprise  and  con- 
sequently the  four  men  who  were,  deemed  it  their  right  to 
assume  authority  on  shipboard.  This  Captain  Thorn  did 
not  concede,  and  each  time  when  the  partners  would  make 
their  requests,  the  Captain  would  reply  with  much  firm- 
ness that  "It  was  contrary  to  orders."  On  the  voyage  the 
ship  touched  at  various  islands  in  the  tropics  and  at  each 
place  the  partners  went  on  shore  and  in  some  instances  kept 
the  vessel  awaiting  their  pleasure.  This,  of  course,  raised 
the  ire  of  Captain  Thorn,  who,  being  a  naval  commander, 
was  a  strict  disciplinarian.    Finally,  on  the  4th  of  Decern- 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  103 

ber,  1810,  they  landed  at  the  Falkland  Islands  to  obtain  a 
supply  of  water.  McDougal  and  McKay  took  this  occasion 
to  go  on  shore,  but  with  the  request  from  the  Captain  that 
they  ''would  not  detain  the  ship."  Once  on  shore,  however, 
they  were  in  no  haste  to  obey  his  orders,  but  rambled  about 
in  search  of  curiosities.  The  anchorage  proving  unsafe  and 
the  water  hard  to  get,  the  vessel  stood  off  shore  and  re- 
peated signals  were  made  for  the  absent  partners  to  return 
to  the  ship,  but  these  gentlemen  paid  no  attention  to  the 
signals  and  did  not  return  until  nine  o'clock  at  night.  The 
next  day  another  attempt  was  made  to  procure  water  and 
the  same  partners  again  went  on  shore,  but  with  emphatic 
requests  from  the  Captain  that  they  should  return  promptly, 
but  the  same  thing  occurred  again  and  Captain  Thorn  now 
resolved  to  make  sail  without  them,  and  the  vessel  moved 
away.  When  those  on  shore  saw  the  ship  actually  under 
way  they  speedily  took  to  their  boats,  and  it  was  not  until 
they  had  a  hard  pull  of  eight  miles  that  they  reached  the 
ship.  Two  days  afterwards  they  anchored  at  Fort  Egmont, 
on  the  same  island,  where  they  remained  four  days  making 
repairs,  and  this  time  McDougal  and  McKay  were  joined  by 
David  Stuart,  and  all  went  on  shore  to  make  the  best  of  the 
time.  They  hunted,  fished  and  enjoyed  themselves  to  their 
hearts'  content.  When  the  vessel  was  ready  to  depart,  Mc- 
Dougal and  Stewart  were  in  the  south  part  of  the  island, 
out  of  sight  of  the  signals,  consequently  there  was  more 
delay.  The  Captain  paced  the  deck  in  nervous  agitation, 
stormed  and  raved.  He  declared  that  this  sort  of  annoy- 
ance should  cease.  It  was  the  third  time  his  orders  had 
been  treated  with  contempt  and  the  ship  wantonly  detained, 
and  he  vowed  it  should  be  the  last.  Accordingly,  the  order 
was  given  to  hoist  the  anchor  and  make  sail,  and  soon  the 
ship  was  standing  out  to  sea.  Robert  Stuart  was  the  only 
remaining  partner  on  board,  and  when  he  became  convinced 
that  the  Captain  really  intended  to  leave  the  three  partners 
on  the  island,  he  requested  him  to  change  his  purpose,  but 
that  only  made  matters  worse  and  the  obstinate  Commander 
declared  that  they  should  be  left  on  the  island.    Robert  Stu- 


104  History  of  Wyoming- 

art's  blood  was  now  up,  and  feeling  that  the  success  of  the 
enterprise  was  jeopardized  by  the  folly  of  Captain  Thorn, 
he  seized  a  pistol  and  declared  that  he  would  blow  out  the 
brains  of  the  Captain  if  he  did  not  shorten  sail.  Fortu- 
nately, at  this  moment  the  wind  changed  and  came  ahead 
and  the  partners  were  enabled  to  reach  the  ship.  The  im- 
pression was  created  on  board,  however,  that  Robert  Stuart 
would  not  have  permitted  the  other  three  partners  to  be  left 
on  the  island  even  had  it  reached  the  point  of  his  killing^ 
the  Captain.  The  circumstance  revealed  the  resolute  char- 
acter of  young  Stuart  which  was  of  service  to  him  in  the 
wilds  of  Wyoming  a  little  later. 

Resuming  the  story  of  this  expedition  across  the  moun- 
tains, and  the  thrilling  events  of  the  journey,  which  took 
place  within  the  borders  of  what  is  now  Wyoming,  we  must 
go  back  to  Astoria,  the  starting  point  of  the  expedition. 
They  went  up  the  Columbia  in  canoes  and  while  going  up 
this  stream  the  veteran  John  Day  showed  symptoms  of  de- 
rangement of  mind  and  shortly  after  attempted  to  commit 
suicide.  Mr.  Stuart,  falling  in  with  some  friendly  Indians 
on  their  way  to  Astoria  to  trade  at  the  post,  succeeded  in 
making  a  bargain  with  them  to  carry  Day  safely  back.  The 
Indians  performed  the  service,  but  poor  Day  never  recov- 
ered and  died  within  the  year.  Mr.  Stuart  had  received  in- 
structions before  leaving  the  fort  to  follow  the  trail  of  Mr. 
Hunt's  party  through  the  wilderness  and  thus  reach  the 
Missouri  river.  W^hile  passing  up  the  Snake  River,  they  by 
the  merest  accident  encountered  John  Hoback,  Joseph  Mil- 
ler, Jacob  Rezner  and  Robinson,  the  scalped  Kentuckian. 
These  four  men,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  detached  from 
the  main  party  the  year  previous,  and  had  been  trapping  for 
beaver  on  Beaver  River.  They  had  collected  a  considerable 
quantity  of  these  skins  and  were  conveying  them  east,  but 
had  encountered  an  outlaw  band  of  Arapahoes,  who  had 
robbed  them  of  everything,  including  most  of  their  cloth- 
ing. Cass,  another  member  of  the  party,  they  reported  as 
having  left  them.  At  the  time  they  were  found  by  Stuart's 
party  they  were  nearly  famished.     These  wanderers  were 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  105 

cared  for  and  taken  to  the  caches  left  by  Mr.  Hunt  and  there 
fitted  out.  The  hunters,  Robinson,  Rezner  and  Hoback,  took 
a  new  outfit  and  remained  in  the  wilderness  rather  than  re- 
turn to  civilization  penniless.  Miller  preferred  to  keep  on 
with  Stuart's  party  and  take  the  place  of  John  Day.  Thus 
the  party  was  recruited  to  the  original  seven.  They  kept 
along  the  Snake  River  for  some  distance,  then  crossed  over 
to  Bear  River.  They  had  an  encounter  with  a  band  of  Crows 
and  barely  escaped  being  robbed,  and  as  it  was  the  savages 
followed  them  for  150  miles.  On  September  18th  the  little 
band  again  struck  the  Snake  River,  where  they  encamped, 
considering  themselves  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  maraud- 
ing band  of  Indians.  Their  horses,  which  were  much  jaded, 
were  turned  out  to  graze.  On  the  morning  of  the  19th  the 
Indians  swept  down  upon  them  and  carried  off  all  their 
horses.  It  w^as  with  mortification  and  despair  that  they 
resumed  their  journey  on  foot.  After  much  suffering,  on 
the  Ist  of  October  they  reached  the  Grand  Tetons  and  soon 
they  came  into  what  is  now  Wyoming.  The  snow  was  al- 
ready lying  deep  on  the  ground  and  they  were  without  food. 
Fortunately,  Ben  Jones  succeeded  in  killing  five  elk  and 
starvation  was  replaced  by  joyful  feasting.  To  add  to  their 
distress.  Crooks  was  taken  sick  and  the  party  was  obliged  to 
wait  several  days  for  his  recovery.  They  finally  moved 
on,  making  slow  progress  through  deep  snows  and  being 
obliged  to  ford  many  streams.  They  suffered  much  with 
cold  and  hunger.  Several  days  before  this,  McLellan  left 
the  party,  preferring  to  travel  alone.  In  their  anxiety  to 
struggle  forward,  they  did  not  stop  to  hunt  and  it  turned 
out  there  was  no  game  in  their  path.  There  was  plenty 
of  antelope,  but  it  was  impossible  to  get  near  enough  to 
shoot  one.  For  three  days  the  forlorn  travelers  had  noth- 
ing to  eat  but  a  small  duck  and  a  few  poor  trout.  After  a 
time  they  succeeded  in  killing  an  antelope,  and  on  this  they 
lived  for  several  days.  The  journal  kept  by  Mr.  Stuart  says 
that  on  the  11th  of  October  they  encamped  on  a  small  stream 
near  the  foot  of  the  Spanish  River  Mountain.  Here  they 
met  with  traces  of  McLellan,  who  appeared  to  be  keeping 


io6  History  of  Wyoming- 

in  advance  of  the  party.  He  had  encamped  the  night  be- 
fore on  this  stream.  At  their  next  encampment,  on  one  of 
the  tributaries  of  the  Spanish  (Grreen)  River  they  perceived 
a  large  smoke  at  some  distance  to  the  southwest.  The  sight 
was  hailed  with  joy,  as  they  thought  it  might  be  an  Indian 
camp  whence  they  could  procure  something  to  eat.  Le  Clerc 
was  despatched  to  reconnoiter,  and  the  travelers  sat  up  late 
in  the  hopes  that  he  would  bring  them  good  news,  but  he 
did  not  come  and  they  went  supperless  to  bed.  Le  Clerc  re- 
turned in  the  morning  to  tell  them  that  the  smoke  arose 
from  the  camp-fire  of  McLellan.  He  had  found  that  eccen- 
tric individual  in  a  worse  condition  than  they  were  them- 
selves. He  had  been  ill,  he  reported,  yet  had  kept  pushing 
forward;  but  now  his  strength  was  exhausted  and  he  could 
go  no  farther.  The  party  went  to  him  and  found  the  poor 
fellow  wasted  to  a  perfect  skeleton  and  so  feeble  that  he 
could  scarcely  raise  his  head.  The  presence  of  his  comrades 
seemed  to  revive  him,  but  they  had  no  food  to  offer,  for  they 
were  starving  themselves.  They  urged  him  to  rise  and  ac- 
company them,  but  he  shook  his  head.  It  was  all  in  vain, 
he  said ;  there  was  no  prospect  of  their  getting  speedy  relief, 
and  without  it  he  should  perish  by  the  way;  he  might  as 
well,  therefore,  stay  and  die  where  he  was.  At  length,  after 
much  persuasion,  they  got  him  upon  his  legs;  his  rifle  and 
other  effects  were  shared  among  them,  and  he  was  cheered 
and  aided  forward.  In  this  way  they  proceeded  for  seven- 
teen miles,  over  a  level  plain  of  sand,  until,  seeing  a  few 
antelope  in  the  distance,  they  encamped  on  the  margin  of  a 
small  stream.  All  that  were  now  capable  of  exertion  turned 
out  to  hunt  for  a  meal.  Their  efforts  were  fruitless,  and  af- 
ter dark  they  returned  to  their  camp,  famished  almost  to 
desperation. 

As  they  were  preparing  for  the  third  time  to  lay  down 
to  sleep  without  a  mouthful  to  eat,  Le  Clerc,  one  of  the  Ca- 
nadians, gaunt  and  wild  with  hunger,  approached  Mr.  Stu- 
art, with  his  gun  in  his  hand.  "It  was  all  in  vain,"  he  said, 
"to  attempt  to  proceed  farther  without  food.  They  had  a 
barren  plain  before  them,  three  or  four  days'  journey  in 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  107 

extent,  on  which  nothing  was  to  be  procured.  They  must 
all  perish  before  they  could  get  to  the  end  of  it.  It  was 
better,  therefore,  that  one  should  die  to  save  the  rest."  He 
proposed,  therefore,  that  they  should  cast  lots ;  adding  as  an 
inducement  for  Mr.  Stuart  to  assent  to  the  proposition,  that 
he,  as  leader  of  the  party,  should  be  exempted.  This  inci- 
dent shows  to  what  extremity  these  wanderers  in  the  desert 
had  arrived.  Even  the  strong  nature  of  Robert  Stuart  was 
shocked  almost  beyond  measure  by  the  horrible  proposition. 
He  could  suffer  and  if  need  be  die  in  the  desert,  but  he  could 
not  consent  to  prolong  life  in  the  way  proposed.  He  tried 
to  reason  with  the  man,  but  it  was  useless.  He  used  argu- 
ment and  spoke  cheering  words,  but  this  had  no  effect; 
finally,  he  snatched  up  his  rifle  and  threatened  to  shoot  the 
man  on  the  spot  if  he  persisted  in  his  inhuman  argument. 
The  famished  wretch  dropped  on  his  knees,  begged  pardon 
in  the  most  abject  terms  and  solemnly  promised  never  again 
to  offend  by  such  a  suggestion.  Again  the  tired  and  hungry 
wanderers  went  supperless  to  bed.  At  dawn  of  day  they 
were  on  their  way,  as  they  realized  that  to  linger  was  to 
perish.  Nine  miles  farther  on  they  ascended  a  range  of 
hills,  and  two  miles  distant  they  came  upon  a  run-down 
buffalo  bull.  The  party  stretched  out  along  the  plain  in 
order  to  encompass  the  animal,  as  their  lives  depended  on 
their  success  in  killing  him.  A  fortunate  shot  brought 
the  monster  down.  The  meat  was  at  once  cut  up,  but  the 
poor  wretches  were  unable  to  wait  until  a  fire  was  built  and 
the  food  prepared.  Each  seized  a  piece  of  the  flesh  and 
commenced  to  eat.  After  a  while  the  remainder  was  carried 
to  a  small  brook,  where  a  fire  was  built  and  a  broth  made  by 
Mr.  Stuart,  which  he  offered  his  companions,  fearing  they 
would  eat  to  excess  on  the  solid  meat.  Each  took  a  portion 
of  this  broth  and  then  waited  until  an  ample  supper  was 
cooked.  That  night  they  adopted  the  Indian  style  of  cook- 
ing and  cramming,  which  was  continued  a  greater  part  of 
the  night,  and  next  morning  the  feasting  was  resumed. 
They  journeyed  on,  and  on  October  17th  they  passed  two 
tributary  streams  of  the  Spanish  (Green)  River,  close  under 


io8  History  of  Wyoming- 

the  Wind  River  Mountains,  which  ranged  along  to  the  east. 
That  day  they  saw  buffalo  and  antelope  but  did  not  succeed 
in  killing  any.  On  the  18th,  after  crossing  a  mountain 
ridge  and  traversing  a  plain,  they  waded  one  of  the  branch- 
es of  the  Spanish  River,  and  on  ascending  its  bank  met  with 
about  a  hundred  and  thirty  Snake  Indians.  They  were 
friendly  in  their  demeanor  and  conducted  them  to  their 
encampment,  which  was  about  three  miles  distant.  It  con- 
sisted of  about  forty  wigwams,  constructed  principally  of 
pine  branches.  The  Snakes,  like  most  of  their  nation,  were 
very  poor;  the  meandering  Crows,  in  their  late  excursion 
through  the  country,  had  picked  this  unlucky  band  to  the 
very  bone,  carrying  off'  their  horses,  several  of  their  squaws 
and  most  of  their  effects.  In  spite  of  their  poverty,  they 
were  hospitable  in  the  extreme  and  made  the  hungry  stran- 
gers welcome  to  their  cabins.  A  few  trinkets  procured  from 
them  a  supply  of  buffalo  meat  and  of  leather  for  moccasins, 
of  which  the  party  were  greatly  in  need.  The  most  valuable 
prize  obtained  from  them,  however,  was  a  horse;  it  was  a 
sorry  old  animal,  in  truth,  after  a  fell  swoop  of  the  Crows, 
yet  this  they  were  prevailed  upon  to  part  with  to  their 
guests  for  a  pistol,  an  ax,  a  knife,  and  a  few  other  trifling 
articles. 

On  October  19th  the  party  loaded  their  old  horse  with 
five  days'  provisions,  consisting  of  buffalo  meat.  They  pro- 
ceeded along  a  branch  of  the  Spanish  (Green)  River  and 
soon  striking  a  large  Indian  trail  they  kept  on  it  to  the 
southeast.  This  trail  was  well-beaten  and  ran  in  a  proper 
direction,  and  they  therefore  determined  to  travel  it  as 
far  as  safety  would  permit.  This  highway  led  through  val- 
leys and  high  ridges,  keeping  a  general  direction  to  the 
southeast.  That  afternoon  the  two  Canadians  killed  a 
young  buffalo  which  was  in  good  condition  and  afforded 
them  a  plentiful  supply  of  fresh  beef.  The  next  morning 
they  crossed  the  continental  divide.  Here  they  left  the 
Indian  trail,  which  changed  its  course,  bearing  to  the  north- 
east; they  therefore  left  the  trail,  keeping  on  their  course 
for  eighteen  miles,  through  a  beautiful  undulating  coun- 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  109 

try.  In  the  evening  they  encamped  on  the  banks  of  a  small 
stream  in  the  open  prairie.  The  next  day  (October  21st) 
they  set  forward,  keeping  to  the  northeast,  toward  the  lofty 
summit  of  a  mountain  which  it  was  necessary  for  them  to 
cross,  and  having  traveled  fifteen  miles,  they  camped  at  the 
base  of  the  mountain  and  the  next  day  crossed  it.  Mr.  Stu- 
art's journal  says  that  when  they  arrived  at  the  opposite 
side  of  the  mountain  they  found  a  rill  of  water  oozing  out  of 
the  earth,  and  resembling  in  look  and  taste  the  water  of  the 
Missouri.  The  next  day  they  came  upon  a  stream  running 
to  the  east  between  two  hills  of  bluish  earth,  strongly  im- 
pregnated with  copperas.  Mr.  Stewart  was  of  the  opinion 
that  this  stream  was  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Missouri 
and  he  determined  to  follow  it,  which  he  did  for  twenty- 
six  miles,  when  he  reached  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  from 
which  he  could  see  the  vast  plain  beyond,  through  which 
wandered  the  same  stream,  in  a  southeast  direction,  and  he 
finally  made  up  his  mind  that  it  could  not  be  one  of  the 
sources  of  the  Missouri ;  he  therefore  took  an  easterly  direc- 
tion toward  a  high  mountain  sixty  miles  away.  For  two 
days  they  kept  on  toward  this  mountain. 

On  the  26th  of  October  they  steered  east,  northeast, 
for  a  wooded  ravine  in  a  mountain,  at  a  small  distance  from 
the  base  of  which,  to  their  great  joy,  they  discovered  an 
abundant  stream  running  between  willow  banks.  Here 
they  halted  for  the  night,  and  Ben  Jones  luckily  trapped  a 
beaver,  and  killed  two  buffalo  bulls.  They  remained  in 
camp  all  the  next  day,  feasting  and  reposing  and  allowing 
their  jaded  horse  to  rest.  This  stream  was  the  Sweetwater, 
but  it  had  not  yet  been  named.  The  journal  of  Mr.  Stuart 
says :  "Pursuing  the  course  of  this  stream  for  about  twenty 
miles,  they  came  to  where  it  forced  a  passage  through  a 
range  of  high  hills  covered  with  cedars,  into  an  extensive 
low  country,  affording  an  excellent  pasture  to  numerous 
herds  of  buffalo."  Here  they  killed  three  cows,  which  were 
the  first  they  had  been  able  to  get,  having  hitherto  had  to 
content  themselves  with  bull  beef,  which  at  this  season  of 
the  year  is  very  poor.    The  hump  meat  afforded  them  a  re- 


no  History  of  Wyoming- 

past  fit  for  an  epicure.  It  will  be  discovered  that  the  trav- 
elers had  made  a  wide  circuit  to  the  south  and  crossed  the 
continental  divide  many  miles  south  of  the  headwaters  of 
the  Sweetwater.  Had  they  kept  the  Indian  trail  to  the 
Sweetwater  they  would  have  saved  themselves  many  weari- 
some miles. 

"Late  on  the  afternoon  of  the  30th  they  came  to  where 
the  stream,  now  to  a  considerable  size,  poured  along  in  a 
ravine  between  precipices  of  red  stone,  two  hundred  feet  in 
height.  For  a  distance  it  dashed  along,  over  huge  masses 
of  rock,  with  foaming  violence,  as  if  exasperated  by  being 
compressed  in  so  narrow  a  channel,  and  at  length  leaped 
down  a  chasm  that  looked  dark  and  frightful  in  the  gather- 
ing twilight." 

They  had  now  reached  the  North  Platte,  but  having 
crossed  the  point  of  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  Sweet- 
water, were  not  aware  that  they  had  come  upon  another 
stream.  The  crossing  from  the  Sweetwater  to  the  Platte 
is  now  considerably  north  of  the  place  where  Stuart  and  his 
party  came  over.  The  northern  road  is  comparatively 
smooth,  there  being  no  steep  hills  to  climb. 

"For  a  part  of  the  next  day  the  wild  river,  in  its  ca- 
pricious wanderings,  led  them  through  a  variety  of  striking 
scenes.  At  one  time  they  were  upon  high  plains,  like  plat- 
forms among  the  mountains,  with  herds  of  buffaloes  roam- 
ing about  them;  at  another,  among  rude,  rocky  defiles, 
broken  into  cliif  s  and  precipices,  where  the  black-tailed  deer 
bounded  off  among  the  crags,  and  the  big-horn  basked  on 
the  sunny  brow  of  the  precipice. 

"In  the  after  part  of  the  day  they  came  to  another  scene, 
surpassing  in  savage  grandeur  those  already  described. 
They  had  been  traveling  for  some  distance  through  a  pass 
of  the  mountains,  keeping  parallel  with  the  river  as  it  roared 
along,  out  of  sight,  through  a  deep  ravine.  Sometimes  their 
devious  path  approached  the  margin  of  cliffs  below  which 
the  river  foamed  and  boiled  and  whirled  among  the  masses 
of  rock  that  had  fallen  into  its  channel.  As  they  crept  cau- 
tiously on,  leading  their  solitary  pack-horse  along  these 
giddy  heights,  they  all  at  once  came  to  where  the  river  thun- 
dered down  a  succession  of  precipices,  throwing  up  clouds 
of  spray,  and  making  a  prodigious  din  and  uproar.  The 
travelers  remained  for  a  time,  gazing  with  mingled  awe  and 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  1 1 1 

delight  at  this  furious  cataract,  to  which  Mr.  Stuart  gave, 
from  the  color  of  the  impending  rocks,  the  name  of  The 
Fiery  Narrows." 

Their  camp  was  made  on  the  banks  of  the  river  below 
the  cataract  and  the  next  morning  they  started  on  down 
the  river,  and  as  they  went  along  they  discussed  their  situ- 
ation and  their  whereabouts.  What  stream  they  were  on, 
they  did  not  know.  Some  thought  that  it  might  be  the 
Cheyenne,  as  it  inclined  somewhat  to  the  north  of  east. 
They  were  certain  that  it  was  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri 
and  that  if  they  kept  on  they  would  reach  home  and  friends. 
They  talked  over  the  probabilities  of  encountering  the  pi- 
ratical Sioux,  Crows  and  Cheyennes;  then  they  weighed 
their  chances  of  being  able  to  continue  their  journey  through 
the  deep  snows  when  they  reached  the  open  prairie  country, 
which  they  surely  would  farther  down  the  river,  where 
fuel  for  camp  fires  would  be  out  of  the  question.  It  was 
finally  agreed  that  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  select  winter 
quarters  and  go  into  camp  as  soon  as  possible.  Robert  Stu- 
art says  that  they  were  brought  the  more  promptly  and 
unanimously  to  this  decision  by  coming  upon  an  excellent 
wintering  place  that  promised  everything  requisite  for  their 
comfort.  It  was  on  a  fine  bend  of  the  river,  just  below 
where  it  issued  from  among  a  ridge  of  mountains  and  bent 
toward  the  northeast.  Here  was  a  beautiful  low  point  of 
land,  covered  by  cottonwood  and  surrounded  by  a  thick 
growth  of  willow,  so  as  to  yield  both  shelter  and  fuel,  as 
well  as  materials  for  building.  The  river  swept  away  in  a 
strong  current,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide.  To 
the  southeast  were  mountains  of  moderate  height,  the  near- 
est about  two  miles  off,  but  the  whole  chain  ranging  to  the 
east,  south  and  west,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Their 
summits  were  covered  with  extensive  tracts  of  pitch  pine, 
checkered  with  small  patches  of  the  quivering  aspen. 
Lower  down  were  thick  forests  of  firs  and  red  cedars,  grow- 
ing out  in  many  places  from  the  very  fissures  of  the  rocks. 
The  mountains  were  broken  and  precipitous,  with  huge 
bluffs  protruding  from  among  the  forests.    Their  rocky  re- 


112  History  of  Wyoming- 

cesses  and  beetling  cliffs  afforded  retreats  for  innumerable 
flocks  of  the  big-horn,  while  their  woody  summits  and  ra- 
vines abounded  with  bears  and  black-tailed  deer.  These, 
with  the  numerous  herds  of  buffalo  on  the  lower  grounds 
along  the  river,  provided  the  travelers  abundant  cheer  in 
their  winter  quarters. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  country  along  the 
North  Platte  below  the  Sweetwater  will  recognize  this  win- 
ter camp  of  Robert  Stuart's  party.  The  bend  of  the  river 
spoken  of  is  where  Bessemer  is  now  located.  The  mountain 
across  the  river  is  Caspar  Mountain,  and  the  little  brook, 
where  Ben  Jones  and  his  party  collected  their  meat,  is  the 
lower  Poison  Spider  Creek. 

"On  the  2nd  of  November,  therefore,  they  pitched  their 
camp  for  the  winter  on  the  woody  point,  and  their  first 
thought  was  to  obtain  a  supply  of  provisions.  Ben  Jones 
and  the  two  Canadians  accordingly  sallied  forth,  accompa- 
nied by  two  others  of  the  party,  leaving  but  one  to  watch 
the  camp.  Their  hunting  was  uncommonly  successful.  In 
the  course  of  two  days  they  killed  thirty-two  buffaloes  and 
collected  their  meat,  on  the  margin  of  a  small  brook,  about 
a  mile  distant.  Fortunately,  a  severe  frost  froze  the  river, 
so  that  the  meat  was  easily  transported  to  the  encampment. 
On  a  succeeding  day,  a  herd  of  buffalo  came  tramping 
through  the  woody  bottom  on  the  river  banks,  and  fifteen 
more  were  killed.  It  was  soon  discovered,  however,  that 
there  was  game  of  a  more  dangerous  nature  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. On  one  occasion  Mr.  Crooks  had  wandered  about 
a  mile  from  the  camp  and  had  ascended  a  small  hill  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  river.  He  was  without  his  rifle,  a 
rare  circumstance,  for  in  these  wild  regions,  where  one 
may  put  up  a  wild  animal  or  a  wild  Indian  at  any  turn,  it  is 
customary  never  to  stir  from  the  campfire  unarmed.  The 
hill  where  he  stood  overlooked  the  place  where  the  massa- 
cre of  the  buffalo  had  taken  place.  As  he  was  looking 
round  on  the  prospect,  his  eye  was  caught  by  an  object  be- 
low, moving  directly  toward  him.  To  his  dismay,  he  discov- 
ered it  to  be  a  grizz.ly  bear  with  two  cubs.  There  was  no 
tree  at  hand  into  which  he  could  climb;  to  run  would  only 
be  to  provoke  pursuit,  and  he  would  soon  be  overtaken. 
He  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  therefore,  and  lay  motion- 
less, watcliins:  the  movements  of  the  animal  with  intense 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  1 1 3 

anxiety.  It  continued  to  advance  until  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  when  it  turned  and  made  into  the  woods,  having  prob- 
ably gorged  itself  with  buffalo  flesh.  Mr.  Crooks  made  all 
haste  back  to  the  camp,  rejoicing  at  his  escape  and  deter- 
mining never  to  stir  out  again  without  his  rifle.  A  few 
days  after  this  circumstance  a  grizzly  bear  was  shot  in  the 
neighborhood  by  Mr.  Miller. 

*'As  the  slaughter  of  so  many  buffaloes  had  provided  the 
party  with  beef  for  the  winter,  in  case  they  met  with  no  fur- 
ther supply,  they  now  set  to  work,  heart  and  hand,  to  build 
a  comfortable  wigwam.  In  a  little  while  the  woody  promon- 
tory rang  with  the  unwonted  sound  of  the  ax.  Some  of  its 
lofty  trees  were  laid  low,  and  by  the  second  evening  the 
cabin  was  complete.  It  was  eight  feet  wide  and  eighteen 
feet  long.  The  walls  were  six  feet  high  and  the  whole  was 
covered  with  buffalo  skins.  The  fire-place  was  in  the  center 
and  the  smoke  found  its  way  out  through  a  hole  in  the  roof. 

"The  hunters  were  next  sent  out  to  procure  deer-skins 
for  garments,  moccasins  and  other  purposes.  They  made 
the  mountains  echo  with  their  rifles,  and  in  the  course  of 
two  days'  hunting  killed  twenty-eight  big-horns  and  black- 
tailed  deer. 

•'The  party  now  reveled  in  abundance.  After  all  that 
they  had  suffered  from  hunger,  cold,  fatigue  and  watch- 
fulness; after  all  their  perils  from  treacherous  and  savage 
men,  they  exulted  in  the  snugness  and  security  of  their  iso- 
lated cabin,  hidden,  as  they  thought,  even  from  the  prying 
eyes  of  Indian  scouts,  and  stored  with  creature  comforts; 
and  they  looked  forward  to  a  winter  of  peace  and  quietness ; 
of  roasting,  and  boiling,  and  broiling,  and  feasting  upon 
venison,  and  mountain  mutton,  and  bear's  meat,  and  mar- 
row bones,  and  buffalo  humps,  and  other  hunters'  dainties, 
and  of  dozing  and  reposing  around  their  fire  and  gossiping 
over  past  dangers  and  adventures,  and  telling  long  hunting 
stories,  until  spring  should  return,  when  they  would  make 
canoes  of  buffalo  skins  and  float  themselves  down  the  river. 

"From  such  halcyon  dreams  they  were  startled  one 
morning  at  daybreak  by  a  savage  yell.  They  started  up 
and  seized  their  rifles.  The  yell  was  repeated  by  two  or 
three  voices.  Cautiously  peeping  out  they  beheld,  to  their 
dismay,  several  Indian  warriors  among  the  trees,  all  armed 
and  painted  in  warlike  style,  being  evidently  bent  on  some 
hostile  purpose. 

"Miller  changed  countenance  as  he  regarded  them.  'We 
-(8) 


114  History  of  Wyoming- 

are  in  trouble/  said  he.  'These  are  some  of  the  rascally 
Arapahoes  that  robbed  me  last  year.'  Not  a  word  was  ut- 
tered by  the  rest  of  the  party,  but  they  silently  slung  their 
powder  horns  and  ball  pouches  and  perpared  for  battle. 
McLellan,  who  had  taken  his  gun  to  pieces  the  evening  be- 
fore, put  it  together  in  all  haste.  He  proposed  that  they 
should  break  out  the  clay  from  between  the  logs,  so  as  to 
be  able  to  fire  upon  the  enemy.  'Not  yet,'  replied  Stuart; 
'it  will  not  do  to  show  fear  or  distrust.  We  must  first  hold 
a  parley.    Someone  must  go  out  and  meet  them  as  a  friend.^ 

"Who  was  to  undertake  the  task?  It  was  full  of  peril, 
as  the  envoy  might  be  shot  down  at  the  threshold. 

"  'The  leader  of  a  party,'  said  Jililler,  'always  takes  the 
advance.' 

"  'Good !'  replied  Stuart.  'I  am  ready.'  He  immedi- 
ately went  forth,  one  of  the  Canadians  following  him.  The 
rest  of  the  party  remained  in  the  garrison  to  keep  the  sav- 
ages in  check. 

"Stuart  advanced,  holding  his  rifle  in  one  hand  and  ex- 
tending the  other  to  the  savage  that  appeared  to  be  the 
chief.  The  latter  stepped  forward  and  took  it;  his  men  fol- 
lowed his  example  and  all  shook  hands  with  Stuart  in  token 
of  friendship.  They  now  explained  their  errand.  They 
were  a  war  party  of  Arapahoe  braves;  their  village  lay  on 
the  stream  several  days'  journey  to  the  eastward.  It  had 
been  attacked  and  ravaged  during  their  absence  by  a  band 
of  Crows,  who  had  carried  off  several  of  their  women  and 
most  of  their  horses.  For  sixteen  days  they  had  been  track- 
ing the  Crows  about  the  mountains,  but  had  not  yet  come 
upon  them.  In  the  meantime  they  had  met  with  scarcely 
any  game  and  were  half  famished.  About  two  days  pre- 
viously they  had  heard  the  report  of  firearms  among  the 
mountains,  and  on  searching  in  the  direction  of  the  sound 
had  come  to  a  place  where  a  deer  had  been  killed.  They  had 
immediately  put  themselves  upon  the  track  of  the  hunters, 
and  by  following  it  up  had  arrived  at  the  cabin." 

Making  a  virtue  of  necessity,  the  chief  and  sub-chief 
were  politely  invited  to  enter  the  cabin,  but  Mr.  Stuart  and 
his  associates  by  motions  indicated  to  the  chief  that  the  bal- 
ance of  his  party  must  remain  on  the  outside.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  inside  of  the  hut,  the  chief  glanced  with  satisfaction 
at  the  rafters,  which  were  laden  with  the  choicest  cuts  of 
buffalo,  elk  and  deer  meat.    The  two  savages  were  invited 


Great  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  1 1  5 

to  partake  of  the  hospitality  of  the  wayfarers  and  large 
quantities  of  meat  were  also  passed  ont  to  the  twenty-three 
savages  who  were  awaiting  their  chief.  Then  commenced  a 
scene  of  gormandizing  so  well  known  to  all  who  are  ac« 
quainted  with  the  Indian  character.  They  ate  all  day  with 
slight  intermissions  and  continued  their  feast  way  into  the 
night.  Mr.  Stuart  intended  to  feed  them  to  stupefaction, 
and  in  this  he  succeeded  admirably.  The  two  chiefs  gorged 
themselves,  not  unlike  anacondas,  became  stupid  and  un- 
able to  do  the  travelers  harm  even  had  they  so  desired.  The 
chief,  under  the  good  treatment,  became  exceedingly  friend- 
ly and  boasted  of  the  scalps  they  would  take  from  the  Crows 
when  they  should  overtake  them,  and  asked  Mr.  Stuart  for  a 
small  supply  of  powder,  promising  to  pay  munificently  out 
of  the  spoils  of  victory,  saying  that  they  were  poor  now  and 
on  foot,  but  when  they  returned  in  two  weeks  they  would  be 
riding  horses  and  would  provide  the  white  men  each  with  a 
horse  to  prevent  them  from  being  tired  on  their  journey. 
The  reply  to  this  proposition  was  that  when  they  brought 
the  horses  they  should  have  the  ammunition,  but  not  before. 
The  Indian  is  a  good  judge  of  human  nature  and  understands 
the  signs  indicated  by  the  tone  and  expression  of  the  face, 
and  seeing  Mr.  Stuart's  attitude  realized  that  it  would  be 
useless  to  continue  further  negotiations  and  dismissed  the 
subject  with  a  good-humored  laugh.  The  unwelcome  visit- 
ors remained  until  10  o'clock  of  the  next  day  and  went  away 
laden  with  the  winter  stores  of  the  Astorians,  sufficient  to 
last  them  a  week. 

As  soon  as  the  vagabond  band  was  out  of  sight  the  little 
party  held  a  council  and  determined  to  move,  and  thus  take 
no  chances  of  the  savages  returning. 

It  was  the  13th  of  December  when  they  left  their  com- 
fortable winter  camp  where  they  had  enjoyed  the  sweetest 
repose  for  five  short  weeks.  They  passed  down  the  north 
side  of  the  Platte  and  within  twenty  miles  came  opposite 
to  where  Casper  now  stands.  The  snow  was  deep  and  a 
crust  had  formed  on  the  surface,  but  they  hurried  along 
and  by  the  time  they  reached  the  locality  where  the  city  of 


ii6  History  of  Wyoming- 

Douglas  now  cheers  the  traveler,  their  feet  had  become  sore 
by  coming  in  contact  with  the  hard  crust  which  had  formed 
on  the  snow  and  through  which  they  broke  at  every  step. 
Soon  the  whole  party  became  dispirited  and  the  opinion  was 
held  by  the  majority  that  they  might  better  have  remained 
in  their  comfortable  camp  and  run  the  risk  of  being  killed 
by  Indians  than  to  drag  on  thus  painfully  with  a  probability 
of  perishing  by  the  way.  Their  poor  old  horse  was  loaded 
down  with  meat,  but  they  had  nothing  wherewith  to  feed 
him  except  willow  twigs  and  cottonwood  bark.  The  leade^ 
of  the  party  cheered  them  on,  assuring  them  that  they  were 
constantly  shortening  the  distance  to  that  point  on  the 
river  where  it  would  be  navigable  for  canoes.  They  passed 
cottonwood  groves  and  at  last  reached  a  place  where  the 
river  ran  between  rocky  hills  and  promontories  covered 
with  cedar  and  pitch  pines,  and  peopled  as  they  said  with 
big-horn  sheep  and  deer.  This  was  the  Platte  River  Canon. 
They  kept  on  and  finally  passed  the  point  where  twenty-two 
years  later  Captain  William  Sublette  and  Robert  Campbell 
built  their  trading  post,  which  was  to  become  the  historic 
Fort  Laramie. 

If  Robert  Stuart  could  have  looked  forward  and  real- 
ized that  he  was  blazing  the  way  for  a  new  road  across  the 
continent,and  that  thirty-one  years  later  Marcus  Whitman 
was  to  pass  over  it  with  a  train  of  a  thousand  people,  it 
would  have  cheered  him  in  his  lonely  wanderings.  But  not- 
withstanding his  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  future,  he  will 
ever  be  known  as  the  pioneer  explorer  of  the  Overland  Trail. 
This  journey  across  the  continent  surpassed  all  others  in 
adventure,  in  heroism  and  in  results.  He  it  was  who  discov- 
ered a  practical  route  across  the  mountains  which  possessed 
great  advantages  over  every  other. 

After  this  digression,  let  us  again  proceed  on  the  toil- 
some journey  with  these  weary  travelers.  They  pushed  on, 
the  weather  became  colder,  and  the  swift  current  of  the 
river  was  frozen  over.  The  snow  was  now  fifteen  inches 
deep,  and  yet  they  pressed  forward  and  soon  came  to  where 
the  face  of  the  country  was  level  and  the  timber  had  disap- 


Oreat  Overland  Trail  Discovered.  1 1 7 

peared.  They  looked  out  over  the  great  plain,  where  noth- 
ing but  desolation  met  their  eyes,  and  here  they  came  to  a 
halt,  sensible  of  the  fact  that  they  could  not  safely  pursue 
their  journey  farther  east  until  the  snow  and  rigors  of  win- 
ter were  past,  nor  could  they  remain  where  they  were.  It 
will  be  recognized  that  they  were  now  in  Nebraska.  They 
retraced  their  steps  seventy-seven  miles  and  again  went  into 
winter  quarters  in  a  cottonwood  grove  on  the  margin  of  the 
river,  where  the  trees  were  large  enough  for  canoes.  Here 
again  they  erected  a  house,  but  before  it  was  completed 
New  Year's  Day  of  1813  came,  and  they  ceased  from  their 
labors,  resolved  to  make  it  a  holiday.  It  was  indeed  a 
happy  new  year  to  them,  for  they  saw  that  it  was  now  simply 
a  question  of  waiting  until  spring  arrived.  On  the  second 
day  of  January  they  went  manfully  to  work  again  on  their 
new  house  and  in  a  few  days  completed  it.  Buffalo  and 
other  game  was  plentiful  in  the  neighborhood  and  they  soon 
had  an  abundance  of  provisions,  and  here  they  remained  for 
the  balance  of  the  winter.  During  the  time  spent  at  this 
encampment  they  built  canoes,  intending  to  launch  them 
early  in  the  spring.  By  this  time  they  were  pretty  well  con- 
vinced that  they  were  on  the  Platte  River.  The  location  of 
this  camp  was  on  the  border  of  Wyoming,  where  the  State 
of  Nebraska  joins.  Some  claim  that  the  identical  spot  is 
Gering,  and  if  so  it  would  be  just  over  the  line  in  Nebraska. 
In  their  second  encampment  they  were  not  troubled 
with  Indian  visitors,  and  nothing  occurred  to  mar  their 
happiness.  They  built  two  canoes,  and  on  the  8th  of  March 
placed  them  on  the  turbulent  waters  and  departed  from 
their  encampment.  Soon  they  encountered  innumerable 
sand-bars  and  snags,  and  after  vainly  attempting  to  go  for- 
ward with  the  canoes  they  were  obliged  to  give  them  up  and 
make  their  way  on  foot.  They  finally  reached  Grand  Island 
and  three  days  later  met  an  Otto  Indian.  This  friendly  sav- 
age conducted  them  to  his  village,  which  was  near,  and  there 
they  met  two  Indian  traders,  white  men,  Dornin  and  Roi, 
who  were  direct  from  St.  Louis.  These  men  informed  them 
of  the  war  which  was  then  going  on  between  the  United 


1 1 8  History  of  Wyoming- 

Stales  and  England.  Mr.  Dornin  furnished  them  with  a 
boat  made  of  elkskin  stretched  over  a  pole  frame.  With  this 
boat  they  entered  on  their  journey  down  the  Platte  and  soon 
reached  the  Missouri,  and  on  the  30th  of  April  they  arrived 
at  St.  Louis  and  brought  the  first  intelligence  of  Mr.  Hunt's 
party,  which  had  left  St.  Louis  more  than  a  year  and  a  half 
before.  Thus  terminated  one  of  the  most  remarkable  expe- 
ditions that  ever  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains.* 

To  sum  up  the  character  of  Robert  Stuart,  it  can  be  said 
of  him  that  he  was  resolute,  absolutely  void  of  fear,  and  yet 
withal  endowed  with  great  caution.  He  led  his  followers 
through  a  wilderness  during  the  most  inclement  season  of 
the  year  and  in  spite  of  fate  or  fortune  preserved  their  lives 
and  afterward  safely  delivered  his  dispatches  to  Mr.  Astor, 
the  promoter  of  the  great  enterprise  of  which  he,  himself, 
was  a  partner.  Citizens  of  our  state,  as  they  study  the  map 
of  Wyoming  and  follow  his  route,  must  not  forget  that  his 
party  were  the  first  Americans  to  traverse  the  valley  of  the 
Sweetwater.  It  is  a  great  oversight  that  this  stream  does 
not  bear  the  name  of  Stuart.  The  members  of  this  party 
were  also  the  first  explorers  of  the  North  Platte.  The  wan- 
derings, sufferings  and  explorations  of  these  men  forever 
associates  their  names  with  the   early  history  of  our  state. 

The  Stuart  party  were  not  the  last  Astorians  to  cross 
Wyoming.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1813,  David  Stuart,  Donald 
McKenzie,  Mr.  Clark  and  such  other  Americans  who  had 
not  entered  into  the  service  of  the  Northwest  Fur  Company 
left  Astoria  on  their  way  across  the  Rocky  Mountains.    John 

*Many  people  have  tried  to  discover  the  trail  of  the  Stuart  party  across  Wyoming.  Gov- 
ernor William  A.  Richards,  who  from  his  profession  as  a  surveyor  has  become  familiar  with  the 
topography  of  the  country,  says  that  the  Stuart  party  entered  Wyoming  through  the  Teton  Pass, 
crossed  Snake  River  somewhere  near  the  mouth  of  the  Hoback,  proceeded  up  that  stream  to  its 
head  and  went  down  Lead  Creek  to  Green  River ;  continued  down  Green  River  a  short  dis- 
tance, then  took  a  southeasterly  course,  crossing  two  branches  of  New  Fork  and  some  other 
minor  streams,  then  the  Big  Sandy  and  some  of  its  tributaries;  crossed  the  Continental  Divide 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  South  Pass,  then  crossed  the  streams  forming  the  headwaters  of  the  Sweet- 
water, traveling  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  They  left  the  valley  of  the  Sweetwater,  thinking  it 
ran  south,  and  continuing  northeast  ascended  the  Beaver  Divide.  From  this  elevation,  seeing 
the  western  end  of  the  Rattlesnake  Range,  they  shaped  their  course  toward  it,  going  nearly  east, 
passing  across  the  Muskrat  country,  where  the  party  suffered  greatly  for  want  of  water.  Reach- 
ing the  Rattlesnake  Range,  they  went  down  a  small  stream  to  the  Sweetwater,  which  they  fol- 
lowed east.  They  failed  to  notice  its  junction  with  the  North  Platte,  but  continued  down  that 
stream  through  the  canon  and  made  their  first  winter  camp  just  below  where  the  river  emerges 
from  the  canon,  probably  two  or  three  miles  below  Bessemer  and  near  where  Fort  Caspar  was 
subsequently  located.  Leaving  this  camp  through  fear  of  Indians,  they  proceeded  down  the 
North  Platte,  making  their  second  winter  camp  in  Nebraska.  , , 


Ashley's  Trappers  in  Wyoming.  119 

Hoback,  Pierre  Dorion,  Pierre  Delaunay,  the  veteran  Ken- 
tuekians,  Robinson  and  Rezner,  all  perished  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Those  who  returned  reached  civilization  at  different 
I)eriods  and  told  their  stories  of  the  fate  of  the  great  expedi- 
tions that  went  by  sea  and  land  to  establish  a  trading  post  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia. 


CHAPTER  XL 


ASHLEY'S  TRAPPERS  IN  WYOMING. 

Trapping  on  the  Yellowstone,  Big  Horn,  Big  Wind  and  Other 
Sources  of  the  Missouri — Names  the  Sweetwater  and  Changes 
THE  Name  Spanish  River  to  Green  River — Employs  Over  300 
Trappers — His  Expedition  to  Salt  Lake — Marvelous  Success  as 
a  Fur  Trader — Makes  a  Fortune  and  Sells  Out  to  Sublette, 
Campbell,  Bridger  and  Others — His  Speech  to  the  Mountain 
Men — Changes  the  Character  of  the  Trapper  by  Mounting  Him 
on  Horseback — A  Life-long  Personal  Friend  of  Every  Trapper 
Who  Shared  With  Him  the  Dangers  of  the  Mountains — Au- 
thor's Tribute  to  the  American  Trapper. 

After  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  the  fur  trade 
was  greatly  stimulated  among  Americans.  Not  only  did 
rich  men,  like  John  Jacob  Astor,  send  out  expeditions,  but 
men  with  small  capital  made  excursions  up  the  Missouri, 
-entered  the  mountain  country  and  pursued  the  perilous  task 
of  fur  trapping.  St.  Louis  at  that  time  was  a  frontier  town 
and  it  became  the  outfitting  point  of  the  fur  trade.  There 
was  a  motley  population  of  French  and  Indian  half-breeds, 
and  Spaniards  with  Indian  blood,  and  other  mixed  races. 
Manuel  Lisa  was  the  pioneer  fur  trader,  and  it  was  to  his 
enterprise  that  St.  Louis  was  indebted  for  turning  the  trade 
in  that  channel.  Lisa  was  born  in  Spain  but  came  to  this 
country  at  an  early  age  and  on  his  arrival  at  St.  Louis  from 
New  Orleans,  he  early  became  known  as  a  bold  partisan 
and  at  the  same  time  as  a  man  possessed  of  good  business 


I20  History  of  Wyoming- 

qualifications.  He  had  made  money  in  merchandising  and 
was  reputed  wealthy.  There  had  grown  up  Spanish  and 
French  establishments  in  New  Orleans,  and  these  had  estab- 
lished branches  from  time  to  time  in  the  new  city  of  St. 
Louis.  The  Frenchmen  and  Spaniards  had  worked  together, 
consequently  when  Lisa  determined  to  organize  a  fur  com- 
pany he  readily  got  the  assistance  of  both  the  Spanish  and 
French  merchants.  He  induced  eleven  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  St.  Louis  to  join  him  in  fur  trapping  and  trading 
with  a  view  of  controlling  the  Indian  trade  and  fur  business 
on  the  upper  branches  of  the  Missouri.  Among  these  were 
Pierre  Chouteau,  Sr.,  William  Clark,  Sylvester  Labadie, 
Pierre  Menard  and  Auguste  P.  Chouteau.  These  gentle- 
men organized  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  with  a  paid-up 
capital  of  |40,000.  Lisa  was  the  leading  partner  in  the 
company  and  had  charge  of  all  the  expeditions  sent  into  the 
widerness.  He  recruited  trappers  and  voyageurs.  the  former 
of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  and  the  latter  half-breed  French 
and  Spanish  who  had  been  boatmen  along  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi.  The  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  hunters  readily 
took  to  trapping.  They  were  unerring  shots  with  the  rifle 
and  therefore  had  little  fear  of  the  wild  Indians.  The  Mis- 
souri Fur  Company  sent  its  first  expedition  up  the  Missouri 
about  the  time  Lewis  and  Clark  returned  from  the  Colum- 
bia, and  by  the  time  the  season  of  1808  arrived  they  had 
two  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  their  employ  and  several  trad- 
ing posts  in  successful  operation  in  the  mountain  country. 
Lisa's  principal  lieutenant  was  an  Alexander  Henry,  who 
built  several  of  these  posts  and  in  1810  established  a  post  on 
Henry's  Fork  of  the  Snake  River,  called  Post  Henry.  This 
latter  was  found  to  be  too  far  in  the  wilderness  and  was 
abandoned  a  year  after  it  was  established.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  Mr.  Hunt  and  his  party  visited  Post  Henry 
on  October  8, 1811  and  found  it  deserted. 

I  will  here  mention  that  Alexander  Henry,  on  leaving 
the  employ  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  in  1812,  engaged 
with  the  Northwest  Company  and  some  years  later  was  on 
the  Columbia  River.    The  Missouri  Fur  Company  was  very 


AsMeifs  Trappers  in  Wyoming.  121 

successful  for  a  few  years,  having  enjoyed  a  fair  share  of 
the  fur  trade  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri.  It  would 
have  been  more  profitable  had  not  the  Northwest  Fur  Com- 
pany, with  their  usual  enterprise  and  English  audacity, 
pushed  their  operations  into  American  territory.  Lisa  had 
one  great  advantage,  and  that  was  his  ability  to  keep  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  Indians.  Come  what  would,  he  was 
always  equal  to  the  emergency.  He  seldom  had  difficulty 
with  the  natives,  unless  it  was  the  Blackfeet.  These  were 
beyond  the  control  of  even  the  most  sagacious  trader  since 
the  unfortunate  affair  of  Captain  Lewis,  who  was  obliged 
to  kill  one  of  that  tribe. 

From  1807  up  to  and  including  the  period  covered  by 
the  war  of  1812  between  England  and  the  United  States. 
a  large  number  of  trappers  from  the  upper  lake  country 
transferred  their  enterprise  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Mis- 
souri. These  formed  minor  associations,  but  the  enterprise 
and  capital  of  Lisa  enabled  him  to  overcome  this  opposition 
by  engaging  them  to  trap  for  the  Missouri  Fur  Company. 
After  the  return  of  Ramsey  Crooks  in  1813,  he  became  an 
active  partisan  in  the  service  of  Mr.  Astor  and  assisted  in 
the  conduct  of  the  affairs  of  the  American  Fur  Company. 
With  abundant  capital,  this  great  corporation  occupied  the 
territory  from  the  great  lakes  west  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Numerous  posts  were  established  in  the  country  drained  by 
the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi,  Missouri,  Yellowstone 
and  at  other  western  points.  This  corporation  a  few  years 
later  had  steamboats  in  its  employ,  and  these  carried  mer- 
chandise to  remote  regions  and  brought  away  the  furs.  The 
Indian  trade  now  included  the  skins  of  the  beaver,  otter, 
lynx,  fox,  raccoon;  also  the  skins  of  the  buffalo,  Rocky 
Mountain  sheep,  deer  and  antelope.  The  steamboats  of  this 
company  created  no  little  wonder  among  the  natives  in  the 
west  and  it  is  said  that  its  passage  up  the  rivers  caused  the 
inhabitants  to  rush  in  a  fright  from  their  villages  and  take 
refuge  in  the  interior.  The  competition  of  the  Northwest 
Fur  Company  and  the  American  Fur  Company  was  so  ruin- 
ous to  Mr.  Lisa  as  to  reduce  his  profits  as  well  as  the  volume 


122  History  of  Wyoming- 

of  his  business.  The  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  the  North- 
west Company  from  1815  to  1821  waged  a  ruinous  war  on 
each  other,  and  the  result  was  that  both  of  these  British 
corporations  greatly  reduced  their  gains.  In  the  year 
last  mentioned  the  two  companies  consolidated  under  the 
name  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  this  amalgamated 
corporation  assumed  to  monopolize  the  business  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  thus  matters  stood  in  1822 
when  General  William  H.  Ashley  of  St.  Louis,  a  man  of  large 
business  capacity,  thought  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  suc- 
cessfully enter  the  fur  trade.  His  plan  was  to  make  friends 
among  the  Indians  and  employ  them  to  trap  in  his  service. 
Early  in  the  spring  of  1822  he  started  with  a  select  company 
of  able  men  for  the  mountains.  He  went  up  the  Missouri, 
established  a  trading  post  on  the  Yellowstone,  and  from 
that  base  of  operations  covered  the  country  to  a  considera- 
ble distance  to  the  south  with  his  trappers,  going  up  the 
Big  Horn  and  its  tributaries  as  far  as  the  Wind  River  Val- 
ley ;  trapping  on  Big  and  Little  Wind  Rivers,  Big  Popo  Agie, 
Little  Popo  Agie,  North  Fork  and  Beaver  Creek.  He  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis  late  in  the  fall.  The  following  spring 
(1823)  he  started  again  for  the  mountains  by  way  of  the 
Platte  River  route,  and  on  reaching  the  forks  of  that  stream 
he  detached  a  small  party  to  go  up  the  South  Fork  and  pro- 
ceeded himself  with  the  main  body  up  the  North  Fork  and 
thence  up  the  Sweetwater.  This  stream  had  not  yet  been 
named.  The  trappers  found  the  water  superior  for  drinking 
purposes  and  claimed  that  it  left  a  pleasant  taste  in  the 
mouth.  General  Ashley  consequently  named  it  Sweetwater, 
which  name  it  bears  today.* 

In  this  party  were  several  men  who  afterwards  became 
famous  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  country  and  whose  names 


*I  have  heard  other  traditions  as  to  the  name  of  this  river.  One  is  that  a  party  of  trappers 
in  early  times  were  going  up  its  banks,  having  with  them  a  mule  loaded  with  sugar.  The  ani- 
mal fell  into  the  stream  and  his  load  dissolved  in  the  water ;  hence  the  name  Sweetwater.  I 
have  been  told  by  old  pioneers  who  lived  with  the  Indians  in  early  days  that  the  red  men  claim 
the  name  Sweetwater  is  the  English  for  the  Indian  appellation.  My  own  opinion  is  that  Ashley 
discovered  the  excellent  quality  of  the  water  and  gave  the  river  its  name,  and  my  reasons  for 
thinking  so  are  that  his  men  suffered  greatly  from  drinking  the  alkali  waters  between  the  place  of 
crossing  and  the  Sweetwater.  After  they  started  up  the  Sweetwater  they  came  to  other  streams 
that  were  unfit  for  drinking  purposes.  All  these  facts  were  noted  by  General  Ashley.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  he  was  an  explorer  as  well  as  a  fiur  trader. 


Ashley's  Trappers  in  Wyoming.  123 

are  today  closely  associated  with  its  early  history.  These 
were  Robert  Campbell,  Jim  Bridger,  William  Sublette, 
Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  Jim  Beckwourth  and  Moses  Harris. 
Ashley,  Sublette  and  Campbell  laid  the  foundation  in  the 
next  few  years  for  great  fortunes.  Ashley  was  of  a  cool, 
daring  disposition  and  under  his  leadership  his  men  became 
bold  trappers  and  successful  partisans.  His  company 
brought  out  in  1823  consisted  of  about  forty  men,  and  with 
these  he  attempted  to  cover  a  large  territory.  His  plan  of 
unification  of  the  Indian  tribes  for  the  purpose  of  trade  was 
only  partially  successful  and  he  early  sent  back  to  St.  Louis 
for  more  trappers.  With  his  little  band  he  pushed  forward 
to  Spanish  River,  the  name  of  which  he  promptly  changed 
to  Green  River,  after  one  of  his  St.  Louis  partners.  It  has 
been  claimed  by  several  historians  that  the  name  of  this 
river  comes  from  the  color  of  its  waters;  be  that  as  it  may, 
General  Ashley  named  it.*  Arriving  on  the  banks  of  this 
j*iver,  he  detached  a  party  under  the  leadership  of  a  man 
named  Clements  to  go  up  Green  River  to  its  headwaters 
and  trap  on  the  main  stream  and  its  branches.  There  were 
seven  men  in  the  party,  and  among  them  Jim  Beckwourth, 
a  man  named  LeBrache  and  another  named  Baptiste.  They 
were  very  successful  in  capturing  beaver.     These  animals 

*State  Auditor  W.  O.  Owen,  when  asked  by  the  author  what  he  thought  was  the  origin  of 
the  name,  said  :  "My  own  opinion  is  that  the  name  was  given  to  this  stream  from  the  intense 
and  beautiful  color  of  its  water,  and  not,  as  many  writers  have  claimed,  fi-om  its  verdant  banks 
which  afford  such  Uvely  contrast  with  the  desert  country  through  which  it  runs  for  many  miles. 
Now,  while  it  is  generally  known  that  nearly  all  bodies  of  water,  under  certain  conditions,  will 
give  forth  a  greenish  hue,  it  must  be  understood  that  these  conditions  are  not  at  all  essential 
when  viewing  this  particular  stream ;  for  the  water  of  Green  River  is  ititrinsically  green.  No 
matter  under  what  conditions  it  may  be  viewed  the  water  of  this  stream,  at  least  as  far  as  that 
portion  of  it  above  the  Green  River  Lakes  is  concerned,  will  be  found  to  possess  this  color.  The 
water  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  two  forks  is  as  intensely  green  as  a  June  meadow  and  is  by  far 
the  most  conspicuous  feature  in  the  landscape  of  that  locality.  Its  color  is  so  deep  and  striking 
that  I  was  led,  two  years  ago  while  executing  surveys  for  Government,  to  make  a  careful  and 


thorough  exammation  of  the  matter,  to  ascertain  if  possible  whence  this  brilliant  green  might 
come.  My  research  resulted  in  a  complete  and  certain  solution  of  the  problem.  In  various  lo- 
calities along  the  forks  we  found  the  banks  of  the  streams  composed  of  a  mineral  substance  re- 
sembling soapstone,  and  of  a  bright  green  color.  Examination  showed  it  to  be  extremely  soft, 
wearing  readily  under  slightest  friction.  I  have  seen  banks  of  this  material  upwards  of  a  himdred 
yards  long,  and  the  water,  tearing  along,  possesses  a  grinding  power  sufficient  to  impregnate  the 
entire  stream  with  the  coloring  matter  referred  to.  A  peculiar  feature  of  this  coloring  process 
lies  in  the  fact  that  an  excess  of  color  may  be  imparted  to  the  water  without  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree affecting  its  limpidity.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  a  transparency  of  the  coloring  matter 
itself  when  reduced  to  particles  of  infinite  smallness.  The  large  lake  at  the  head  of  the  northern 
fork  of  the  river  is  said  to  be  without  a  rival  in  point  of  color,  and  it  is  of  an  intense,  bright  green. 
Not  merely  green  when  viewed  under  certain  illumination,  but  literally  and  actually  green  of  its 
own  nature.  And  near  this  lake  the  soapstone  referred  to  above  is  to  be  found  in  abundance.  I 
have  colored  a  bucket  of  water  by  simply  adding  a  small  quantity  of  this  material  finely  pulver- 
ized ;  and  in  the  face  of  these  experiments,  and  the  facts  above  mentioned,  which  any  one  who 
cares  to  may  verify,  it  is  difficult  indeed  to  refer  the  christening  of  this  river  to  any  other  source 
than  that  of  the  transp.irent  green  of  its  water." 


124  History  of  Wyoming- 

were  numerous  on  the  headwaters  of  this  river  at  that  time, 
as  they  had  never  been  trapped.  The  traps  were  set  and 
every  one  secured  a  beaver,  and  besides  those  caught  in  this 
way  they  shot  a  great  many  with  their  rifles.  As  they 
proceeded  up  the  river  they  came  to  a  branch  on  the  west 
side  of  the  main  stream,  up  which  they  saw  a  number  of  wild 
horses  pasturing  in  the  beautiful  green  meadows,  and  they 
promptly  called  it  Horse  Creek,  a  name  which  it  still  bears. 
I  am  aware  that  another  origin  is  given  for  the  name  of  this 
creek,  which  is  to  the  effect  that  Edward  Rose,  in  1824, 
while  acting  as  interpreter  and  guide  for  a  large  party  of 
trappers  under  Jedediah  Smith  and  Thomas  Fitzpatrick, 
instigated  the  Crows  to  steal  the  horses  of  the  party,  and 
that  this  branch  of  Green  River  took  its  name  from  that 
incident. 

On  another  branch  of  Green  River,  farther  up,  they 
were  attacked  by  a  party  of  sixteen  Blackfeet  and  one  of 
their  number,  LeBrache,  was  killed.  The  trappers  then 
retreated  down  the  river  and  two  days  later  were  met  by 
another  detachment  from  the  post  on  the  Yellowstone.  The 
rendezvous  was  to  be  at  the  place  which  later  became  the 
ford  on  Green  River,  and  this  detachment  of  trappers  from 
the  north  was  on  the  way  to  that  point.  It  was  fortunate 
for  Clements'  party  that  they  met  with  this  reinforcement, 
as  the  Blackfeet  were  still  following  them. 

At  the  rendezvous  that  season  there  was  great  rejoic- 
ing, as  all  the  brigades  had  been  uniformly  successful  and 
consequently  a  large  number  of  beaver  packs  were  sent  to 
the  market.  The  army  of  trappers  was  increased  the  next 
spring  to  over  three  hundred,  and  most  of  these  reached 
the  country  by  way  of  the  Platte  River.  General  Ashley 
that  year  (1824)  went  with  a  party  under  his  own  immediate 
command  down  the  Green  River  with  a  view  to  exploring 
new  trapping  ground  to  the  south  and  west.  The  expedition 
proved  to  be  one  of  great  advantage  financially,  but  its 
members  underwent  great  privation,  as  they  had  a  very 
dangerous  passage  down  the  river  and  suffered  extremely, 
having  taken  little  provisions  with  them,  as  they  did  not 


Ashley's  Trappers  in  Wyoming.  125 

expect  the  canon  to  be  of  such  length.  They  lost  three  gun« 
and  two  boats  when  they  passed  over  the  rapids  and  were 
obliged  to  let  their  boats  down  with  ropes  when  they  came 
to  the  most  dangerous  places.  Soon  their  provisions  gave 
out  and  the  beaver  grew  scarce  until  there  was  none  to  be 
seen.  As  it  was  impossible  either  to  retrace  their  steps  or 
to  ascend  the  high  cliffs  on  each  side  of  them,  their  only 
choice  was  to  go  ahead.  They  passed  six  days  without  tast- 
ing food  and  the  men  were  weak  and  disheartened.  General 
Ashley  listened  to  all  their  murmurings  and  heart-rending 
complaints.  They  often  spoke  of  home  and  friends,  declar- 
ing they  would  never  see  them  more.  Some  spoke  of  wives 
and  children  whom  they  dearly  loved  and  who  must  become 
widows  and  orphans.  They  had  toiled,  they  said,  through 
every  difficulty;  had  risked  their  lives  among  wild  beasts 
and  hostile  Indians  in  the  wilderness.  This  they  were  will- 
ing to  undergo,  but  they  could  not  bear  up  against  actual 
starvation. 

The  general  encouraged  them  to  the  best  of  his  power, 
telling  them  that  he  bore  an  equal  part  in  all  their  suffer- 
ings; that  he  was  toiling  for  those  he  loved  and  whom  he  yet 
expected  to  see  again.  He  said  they  should  endeavor  to 
keep  up  their  courage  and  not  add  despondency  to  the  rest 
of  their  misfortunes. 

One  more  night  was  passed  amid  the  barren  rocks  and 
the  next  morning  some  of  the  party  proposed  that  the  com- 
pany east  lots  to  see  which  one  should  be  sacrificed  to  afford 
food  for  the  others,  without  which  they  would  inevitably 
perish.  r3eneral  Ashley  was  horrified  and  begged  them  to 
wait  at  least  one  more  day  and  in  the  meantime  go  as  far 
as  they  could.  By  doing  so,  he  said,  they  must  come  to  a 
break  in  the  canon  through  which  they  could  escape.  They 
consented  and  moved  down  the  river  as  fast  as  the  current 
would  carry  them,  and  to  their  joy  found  a  break  and  in  it 
a  camp  of  trappers.  They  all  rejoiced  now  that  they  had  not 
carried  their  fearful  proposition  into  effect.  They  had  fallen 
in  good  hands  and  slowly  recruited  themselves  with  the 
party,  which  was  in  charge  of  one  Provo,  with  whom  Gene- 


126  History  of  Wyoming- 

ral  Ashley  was  well  acquainted.  By  his  advice,  they  left  the 
river  and  proceeded  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  Provo 
accompanying  them,  supplying  them  with  horses  and  pro- 
visions. They  remained  with  his  party  until  they  reached 
the  Great  Salt  Lake.  Here  they  fell  in  with  a  large  company 
of  trappers,  composed  of  Canadians  and  Iroquois  Indians, 
under  the  command  of  Peter  Ogden,  who  was  in  the  service 
of  the  Northwest  Fur  Company.  With  this  party  Ashley 
made  a  good  bargain,  purchasing  all  their  peltries  at  rea- 
sonable prices.  The  furs  were  to  be  paid  for  at  the  rendez- 
vous at  Green  River  and  the  contract  was  that  Ogden  was  to 
take  in  exchange  merchandise  of  which  General  Ashley  had 
an  abundance.  During  this  same  season  Fitzpatrick  and 
Bridger,  with  a  detachment  of  thirty  trappers,  went  up  the 
Snake  River  and  trapped  in  all  the  tributary  streams  of  that 
locality.  Bridger,  with  a  small  party,  followed  the  Snake 
river  to  its  very  source  and  wandered  around  for  some  time 
in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Yellowstone  National  Park, 
and  he  evidently  became  fascinated  with  the  wonders  of 
that  country.  He  talked  with  many  persons  about  it,  but  as 
in  Colter's  case,  his  stories  were  laughed  at  by  the  trappers. 
The  next  year  he  happened  to  be  at  the  trading  post  of  the 
American  Fur  Company  on  the  Yellowstone  and  there  met  a 
young  Kentuckian,  Robert  Meldrum,  who  came  out  to  be 
employed  as  blacksmith  at  that  post.  He  was  a  good  work- 
man, but  he  soon  imbibed  the  love  of  adventure  and  went 
out  as  a  trapper.  During  Bridger's  visit  to  the  post  he  told 
Meldrum  what  he  had  seen  the  year  before,  and  that  young 
man  was  fired  with  an  ambition  to  go  into  that  country.  He 
soon  after  joined  the  Crows,  and  it  was  while  living  with 
these  people  that  he  found  an  opportunity  to  investigate  the 
wonders  around  Yellowstone  Lake.  In  later  years  he  often 
talked  with  army  officers  and  others  about  the  geysers,  and 
for  a  wonder  his  stories  were  believed. 

General  Ashley  sold  out  his  interests  in  the  mountains 
to  Captain  William  Sublette,  Robert  Campbell,  James 
Bridger  and  others  and  retired  from  business,  as  he  had 
accumulated  a  fortune.     Sublette  was  at  the  head  of  the 


Ashley^s  Trappers  in  Wyoming.  127 

Dew  company.  Fitzpatrick  was  retained  by  the  Captain  and 
his  operations  for  the  next  few  years  covered  a  large  part 
of  the  northern  Rocky  Mountain  country. 

After  the  sale  of  his  interest,  General  Ashley  visited 
his  trappers  in  the  mountains  for  the  last  time  and  while 
at  the  rendezvous  the  Blackf  eet  attacked  a  village  of  Snake 
Indians,  near  the  camp.  The  trappers,  headed  by  Captain 
Sublette,  went  to  the  assistance  of  the  Snakes  and  with 
right  good  will  lent  their  aid  to  their  Indian  allies.  Over 
300  trappers  mounted  their  horses,  wheeled  into  line  and 
swept  down  upon  the  Indians,  and  173  of  the  Blackf  eet 
were  slain.  The  trappers  had  in  this  engagement  eight  men 
wounded,  but  none  were  killed. 

General  Ashley  returned  to  St.  Louis  with  two  hundred 
packs  of  beaver,  worth  at  that  time  about  $1,000  a  pack. 
Mountain  men  for  many  years  talked  about  General  Ashley's 
farewell  speech  to  his  trappers,  and  the  following  is  re- 
ported to  be  what  he  said : 

"Mountaineers  and  friends:  When  I  first  came  to  the 
mountains,  I  came  a  poor  man.  You,  by  your  indefatigable 
exertions,  toils  and  privations,  have  procured  me  an  inde- 
pendent fortune.  With  ordinary  prudence  in  the  manage- 
ment of  what  I  have  accumulated,  I  shall  never  want  for 
anything.  For  this,  my  friends,  I  feel  myself  under  great 
obligations  to  you.  Many  of  you  have  served  me  personally, 
and  I  shall  always  be  proud  to  testify  to  the  fidelity  with 
which  you  have  stood  by  me  through  all  danger,  and  the 
friendly  and  brotherly  feeling  which  you  have  ever,  one  and 
all,  evinced  toward  me.  For  these  faithful  and  devoted  ser- 
vices I  wish  you  to  accept  my  thanks.  The  gratitude  that  I 
express  to  you  springs  from  my  heart,  and  will  ever  retain  a 
lively  hold  on  my  feelings.  My  friends,  I  am  nov/  about  to 
leave  you,  to  take  up  my  abode  in  St.  Louis.  Whenever  any 
of  you  return  thither,  your  first  duty  must  be  to  call  at  my 
house,  to  talk  over  the  scenes  of  peril  we  have  encountered, 
and  partake  of  the  best  cheer  my  table  can  afi'ord  yon.  I 
now  wash  my  hands  of  the  toils  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Farewell,  mountaineers  and  friends!  Mav  God  bless  voa 
all." 

General  Ashley,  by  his  strong  personality,  completely 
revolutionized  the  methods  of  trapping.    From  the  infancy 


128  History  of  Wyoming- 

of  the  business  in  the  Canadas  and  the  rivers  and  lakes  in 
the  Northwest,  the  trapper  had  journeyed  in  canoes.  Ash- 
ley mounted  his  men  on  horseback  and  he  employed  none 
but  expert  riders  and  those  who  could  handle  a  rilie  with 
deadly  effect.  Every  man  was  expected  to  defend  himself 
against  Indians  while  he  looked  after  his  traps.  This  plac- 
ing of  the  trapper  on  horseback  completely  changed  the 
white  man  as  it  had  done  the  Indian  before  him.  These 
trappers  soon  became  as  expert  in  horsemanship  as  the  red- 
man,  and  being  better  armed,  the  Indian  was  no  match  for 
him,  yet  in  spite  of  his  advantage  over  the  red  man,  the 
latter  soon  found  means  to  wage  a  war  almost  to  extermina- 
tion on  the  trappers.  The  savages  learned  to  know  the 
routes  as  well  as  the  resorts  of  the  white  men  on  horseback, 
and  they  made  war  by  waylaying  them  on  their  journey. 
They  hovered  about  their  camps  and  made  life  with  them 
a  perpetual  warfare.  This  in  time  resulted  in  greatly  deci- 
mating the  ranks  of  the  trappers.  It  is  reported  that  three- 
fifths  of  all  the  men  who  served  under  Ashley,  Sublette, 
Campbell,  Bridger  and  Fitzpatrick  were  killed  by  Indians 
and  the  most  of  them  were  cut  off  while  examining  their 
traps,  and  yet  the  fascination  of  a  mountain  life  kept  the 
ranks  recruited  and  the  businss  of  fur  trapping  up  to  the 
full  standard  until  the  streams  were  depleted  of  fur-bearing 
animals. 

To  tell  the  story  of  General  Ashley  and  his  men  while  in 
the  mountains  would  require  numerous  volumes.  I  have 
simply  sketched  some  of  the  leading  events  in  the  life  of 
this  wonderful  man,  whose  favorite  trapping  and  trading 
grounds  in  the  west  were  in  Wyoming. 

The  American  trappers  and  traders  of  Ashley  and  his 
followers  had  much  to  do  with  the  early  history  of  Wyoming. 
These  intrepid  men  laid  the  foundation  upon  which  was 
built  in  after  years  a  magnificent  civilization.  I  regret  ejt- 
ceedingly  that  so  many  of  the  brave  men  who  followed 
these  renowned  leaders  are  unknown  today.  The  names  of  a 
few  of  the  many  I  have  been  able  to  rescue  from  oblivion, 
but  the  great  army,  the  advance  guard  of  civilization,  the 


Ashleifs  Trappers  in  Wyoming.  129 

heroes  who  risked  and  often  lost  their  lives  in  the  moun- 
tains— even  their  names  are  forgotten.  In  these  pages  I 
shall  present  and  give  an  account  of  various  trapping  and 
trading  expeditions  within  the  borders  of  what  is  now  Wyo- 
ming, which  I  have  been  enabled  to  gather  from  many 
sources.  They  are  all  a  part  of  our  history  and  the  story 
of  their  achievements  and  their  sufferings  rightfully  belongs 
in  these  pages  side  by  side  with  other  heroes  who  completed 
the  work  of  planting  civilization  in  these  mountains  and  on 
these  plains.  It  might  be  claimed,  and  perhaps  truly,  that 
it  was  the  "accursed  thirst  for  gold"  that  induced  these  men 
to  brave  the  dangers  of  a  rigorous  climate,  the  wild  men 
of  the  mountains,  hunger  and  thirst,  but  after  all  it  was  the 
beginning  of  all  that  came  after.  In  all  ages  of  the  world 
gold  has  been  the  ambition  of  the  race,  and  to  secure  it  men 
have  been  willing  to  suffer  every  hardship,  endure  every 
privation  and  encounter  every  danger.  The  American  trap- 
per followed  an  occupation  fraught  with  great  peril,  and 
hundreds  of  these  brave  men  met  death  along  the  many 
streams  throughout  our  borders.  Death  stared  them  in  the 
face  every  hour  in  the  day  and  often  at  night,  and  yet  they 
went  forward  with  a  splendid  courage  worthy  of  their  citi- 
zenship. They  crossed  every  mountain,  traversed  every  val- 
ley, and  it  was  largely  through  the  reports  of  these  trappers 
that  our  rich  valleys  and  grand  resources  were  made  known. 
If  these  men  fell  by  the  wayside,  their  bones  were  left  to 
bleach  where  they  died.  Few  of  them  were  even  honored 
by  having  their  names  given  to  either  mountain  or  stream, 
but  in  spite  of  neglect  they  were  heroes,  every  one. 

General  William  H.  Ashley  was  bom  in  Virginia  and 
moved  to  Missouri  while  it  was  still  called  Upper  Louisiana. 
When  the  state  was  organized  he  was  elected  Lieutenant- 
Governor  and  was  made  Brigadier-General  of  militia.  He 
lived  to  a  good  old  age  and  at  his  residence  in  St.  Louis  he 
always  made  his  mountain  associates  welcome. 


-(9) 


30  History  of  Wyoming- 


CHAPTER  XII. 

FUR   TRAPPERS  AND  TRADERS. 

Capt.  William  Sublette  Succeeds  Gen.  Ashley — He  Organizes  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  with  Jedediah  S.  Smith,  David 
E.  Jackson  and  Others  as  Partners — Brilliant  Campaigns 
Planned  and  Carried  out — Names  Jackson's  Hole  and  Lake 
— Introduces  Wagons  into  the  Service  in  Wyoming — Capt.  Na- 
thaniel J.  Wyeth — Battle  of  Pierre's  Hole — Death  of  Van- 
derburg — Bridger's  Affair  with  the  Chief  of  the  Blackfeet — 
Success  Attends  the  Fur  Trade. 

It  has  been  explained  that  General  Ashley  sold  out  his 
interests  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  trapping  and  trading  en- 
terprise in  the  year  1826.  His  was  not  an  incorporated  com* 
pany,  and  yet  he  had  a  number  of  partners,  wealthy  men  of 
St.  Louis,  among  which  were  Wamdorf,  Tracy,  Campbell, 
Green,  Biddle  and  some  three  or  four  others.  General  Ash. 
ley  on  his  last  trip  to  the  rendezvous  at  Green  River  brought 
out  from  St.  Louis  with  him  a  large  amount  of  supplies, 
which  were  turned  over  to  Captain  Sublette  and  made  a 
part  of  the  deal.  Jedediah  S.  Smith  was  the  real  promoter 
of  the  new  company,  for  he  it  was  who  had  talked  the  matter 
of  the  purchase  over  with  not  only  Sublette  but  with  General 
Ashley,  and  yet  at  the  time  the  deal  was  consummated  he 
was  off  on  a  trapping  expedition  and  had  not  been  heard 
from  for  nearly  a  year,  but  Sublette  did  not  hesitate  to  act 
for  his  absent  partner.  The  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company 
had  been  organized  during  the  previous  winter,  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  purchase  of  the  Ashley  interest.  The  three  men 
who  held  a  majority  of  the  stock  in  the  new  company  were 
David  E.  Jackson,  Captain  William  Sublette  and  Jedediah 
S.  Smith.  There  were  other  partners  holding  small  inter- 
ests, the  largest  of  which  was  Robert  Campbell's. 

Captain  Sublette,  finding  himself  at  the  head  of  a  pow- 
erful organization  and  in  a  position  suited  to  his  tastes,  did 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  131 

not  hesitate  to  act  promptly.  With  his  great  dash,  execu- 
tive ability  and  fearless  daring,  he  entered  upon  a  cam- 
paign  which  was  to  be  more  extensive  than  any  which  had 
preceded  it.  He  organized  his  force  into  thirty  brigades 
and  appointed  the  next  rendezvous  to  be  on  Wind  River 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Popo  Agie.  Robert  Campbell  was  one 
of  his  ablest  leaders,  and  Thomas  Fitzpatrick  was  next 
trusty  lieutenant;  then  came  Moses  Harris,  Jim  Bridger 
and  Jim  Beckwourth.  The  latter  was  regarded  as  a  brave 
young  man,  but  reckless.  He  took  great  pleasure  in  scalp, 
ing  an  Indian  and  would  often  neglect  the  trapping  part  of 
the  service  to  ijidulge  in  this  sort  of  luxury.  This  season 
they  trapped  in  Wyoming,  Colorado,  Utah,  and  far  north 
into  Montana.  Upon  the  whole  the  campaign  was  a  very 
successful  one.  The  Snakes,  Crows,  Flatheads,  Sioux  and 
several  other  tribes  brought  in  a  large  number  of  peltries 
which  added  to  the  general  stock  and  made  the  shipment  of 
furs  that  year  very  large. 

The  year  1827  was  marked  with  still  more  activity. 
Sublette  that  season  had  under  his  command  400  trappers. 
He  brought  into  the  country  a  large  amount  of  merchandise 
which  he  managed  to  dispose  of  at  remunerative  prices  by 
operating  on  a  grand  scale  in  a  large  territory.  A  number 
of  outside  Indian  tribes,  for  the  sake  of  getting  goods, 
showed  a  disposition  to  be  friendly.  These  brought  in  furs 
and  exchanged  them  for  commodities  of  which  they  were 
in  need.  The  Indians  seemed  to  awake  to  a  consciousness 
of  the  power  of  merchandise.  They  realized  that  furs  would 
procure  for  their  use  many  luxuries  as  well  as  necessities. 
The  rendezvous  this  season  was  at  Horse  Creek,  on  Green 
River,  and  here  assembled  the  largest  gathering  of  Indians 
that  had  so  far  been  known  in  the  history  of  the  fur  trade. 
After  the  goods  had  been  distributed,  Sublette  went  to  St. 
Louis  to  organize  the  campaign  for  1828,  but  his  able  lieu- 
tenants, in  his  absence,  pushed  both  trapping  and  trading. 
They  penetrated  far  into  the  recesses  of  the  mountains  and 
made  a  good  showing  in  peltries  for  the  year. 

In  the  springs  of  1828  Captain  Sublette  made  a  rapid 


132  History  of  Wyoming- 

movement  toward  the  mountains,  bringing  with  him  the 
usual  amount  of  merchandise.  After  the  rendezvous,  he  ac- 
companied Bridger  up  Snake  River  and  for  the  first  time 
beheld  the  beautiful  valley  and  lake  over  which  the  Grand 
Tetons  stand  as  sentinels.  He  named  both  the  valley  and 
the  lake  after  his  partner,  David  E.  Jackson,  and  thus  we 
have  on  the  map  of  Wyoming  Jackson's  Hole  and  Jackson's 
Lake. 

The  following  season  the  rendezvous  was  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Popo  Agie  and  the  gathering  was  a  large  one.  Cap- 
tain Sublette  brought  out  that  year  fourteen  wagons  loaded 
with  merchandise.  The  wagons  were  drawn  by  mules  and 
the  load  for  each  vehicle  was  1,800  pounds.  This  mode  of 
hauling  goods  into  the  mountains  produced  a  decided  sen- 
sation among  the  trappers,  and  the  Indians  looked  upon  the 
long  train  as  something  quite  beyond  their  comprehension. 

Here  we  have  the  first  wagons  brought  into  Wyoming. 
They  followed  the  North  Platte  and  the  Sweetwater  but  did 
not  cross  the  continental  divide;  yet  they  proved  that  ve- 
hicles could  go  as  far  west  as  the  Wind  River  Valley.  These 
were  loaded  with  peltries  and  returned  to  St.  Louis,  making 
a  successful  trip.  There  were  stormy  times  that  season 
with  the  Blackfeet.  These  marauders  that  autumn  managed 
to  cut  off  a  number  of  small  parties  of  trappers  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Fur  Company.  Robert  Campbell,  with  thirty-one 
men,  had  a  desperate  fight  with  the  Blackfeet  at  the  junction  • 
of  Guy's  Fork  and  Salt  River  and  succeeded  in  killing  a  large 
number  of  them  without  sustaining  any  great  injury.  Jim 
Bridger,  during  this  same  season,  at  the  head  of  about  two 
hundred  trappers,  attacked  a  large  force  forty  miles  west  of 
the  Green  River  crossing,  and  after  a  pitched  battle  the  In- 
dians were  defeated.  Fitzpatrick  that  same  year  had  a  num- 
ber of  Indian  difficulties  and  lost  some  of  his  men.  The  In- 
dian situation  had  become,  upon  the  whole,  very  annoying 
and  while  at  the  rendezvous  that  year  Captain  Sublette  gave 
it  as  his  opinion  that  the  time  had  come  to  declare  a  war  of 
extermination  against  all  troublesome  Indians,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  waging  such  a  war  successfully,  he  went  to  St. 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  133 

Louis  to  recruit  for  his  service  one  hundred  Kentucky  rifle- 
men. These  were  brought  the  next  year  and  they  had  abun- 
dant opportunity  during  1830  to  display  their  marksman- 
ship. The  trapping  brigades  were  increased  in  size  and 
strict  watch  was  kept  upon  the  movements  of  all  suspicious 
Indians.  The  Blackfeet,  Sioux,  Cheyennes  and  some  of  the 
more  western  tribes  were  placed  upon  the  list  as  Indians 
who  were  not  to  be  trusted.  That  year  the  Crows,  while 
they  did  not  make  open  war,  gave  more  or  less  trouble. 
They  would  watch  Campbell's  men  set  their  traps  along 
Powder  River  and  its  tributaries  and  then  go  and  steal  them. 
At  last  two  trappers  were  killed,  and  this  brought  the  cli- 
max. The  Crows  had  been  in  the  habit  of  visiting  Camx)- 
bell's  camp,  and  when  they  were  told  of  the  trap  stealing 
that  was  going  on  they  charged  it  to  the  Cheyennes,  who 
they  said  were  in  the  country  north  of  the  Powder  River. 
When  the  trappers  were  killed  they  charged  these  murders 
to  the  same  tribe.  Jim  Bridger,  who  was  present,  gave  it  as 
his  opinion  that  the  Crows  were  not  only  the  thieves  but  the 
murderers,  and  he  was  in  favor  of  bringing  swift  retribution 
to  that  tribe.  Campbell  was  evidently  of  the  same  opinion 
as  Bridger,  but  he  did  not  care  to  act  hastily,  as  the  Crows 
were  numerous.  He  preferred  not  to  bring  on  an  open  war, 
so  he  sent  for  a  number  of  the  chiefs  and  told  them  that 
some  of  his  men  felt  certain  that  the  Crow  Indians  were 
responsible  for  all  the  troubles  and  that  while  he  was  not 
altogether  satisfied  he  feared  that  his  men  would  kill  every 
Indian  they  saw  prowling  around,  no  matter  whether  they 
were  Crows  or  Cheyennes.  This  he  said  would  be  very  bad, 
for  the  long  guns  of  the  trappers  would  shoot  a  great  dis- 
tance. He  hoped  that  the  chiefs  would  assist  him  in  keep- 
ing the  peace,  which  could  only  be  done  by  preventing  the 
stealing  of  traps  and  the  killing  of  trappers. 

The  chiefs  said  they  were  absolutely  certain  that  the 
Crows  had  not  done  the  mischief,  and  they  were  equally 
certain  that  the  Cheyennes  were  the  guilty  parties.  They 
proposed  to  protect  the  trappers  against  these  bad  Indians 
and  to  this  end  they  would  send  out  scouting  parties,  locate 


134  History  of  Wyoming- 

the  Cheyennes  and  then  with  sufficient  force  drive  them 
from  the  country.  After  that  Campbell's  trappers  suffered 
no  more  from  Indian  depredations.  The  incidents  of  that 
summer  are  too  numerous  to  even  mention.  Every  band  of 
trappers  had  their  story  of  adventure  to  relate  at  the  ren- 
dezvous. The  American  Fur  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Astor 
was  the  head,  had  established  a  post  on  the  Yellowstone 
and  had  distributed  many  trappers  up  the  various  streams, 
reaching  even  the  southern  borders  of  Wyoming.  With 
these  Sublette  made  common  cause  against  the  Indians  and 
for  a  time  held  the  marauding  bands  in  check,  and  thus  the 
fall  of  1830  passed. 

The  two  companies  were  represented  in  the  mountains 
by  what  were  called  resident  partners.  Fitzpatrick  and 
Bridger  were  the  partners  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Com« 
pany  and  in  consequence  of  their  position  remained  in  the 
mountains  the  year  round,  and  Vanderburgh  and  Dripps 
were  the  resident  partners  of  the  American  Fur  Company. 
Fontenelle  was  also  a  leader  of  this  company. 

The  rendezvous  in  1831  was  at  Pierre's  Hole*  for  both 
the  American  Fur  Company  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company.  The  Indians  were  not  disposed  to  be  entirely 
peaceable,  but  the  year  passed  by  without  any  serious  en- 
counter. To  the  practiced  eye  of  William  Sublette,  and  also 
Robert  Campbell,  there  was  trouble  ahead;  but  as  they  were 
prepared  to  meet  it,  were  content  to  await  results.  Sub- 
lette and  Campbell  spent  the  winter  of  1831-32  in  St.  Louis 
and  returned  to  the  mountains  in  the  early  spring. 

The  year  1832  was  one  of  great  activity  in  Wyoming 
among  the  fur  traders  and  trappers.  Several  hundred  men 
were  engaged  in  this  calling  along  our  various  streams. 
Captain  Bonneville  came  that  season  with  his  110  men.  The 
American  Fur  Company  gave  employment  to  fully  as  many 
more  within  our  borders.    The  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Com- 

♦The  name  "  Pierre's  Hole"  is  derived  from  axi  incident  that  occurred  in  the  early  part  of 
the  century.  A  party  of  Iroquois  hunters  in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  wandered 
into  that  locaUty  and  were  there  attacked  by  a  fierce  band  of  Blackfeet.  Many  were  killed  on 
both  sides  and  the  chief  of  the  Iroquois,  Pierre,  was  among  the  slain.  He  was  a  noted  man 
among  the  Indian  tribes  and  a  firm  friend  to  the  whites.  In  consequence  of  the  death  ot  this 
chieftain  in  this  valley  his  name  was  given  to  the  locality.     It  is  now  called  Teton  Basin. 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  135 

pany  kept  about  150  men  within  the  territory  that  is  now 
Wyoming,  and  in  addition  to  these  there  were  a  dozen  bands 
of  free  trappers  numbering  from  fifteen  to  thirty  men  each. 
The  competition  was  great,  but  when  there  were  savages  to 
fight  they  acted  as  brothers  in  one  common  cause.  The  vari- 
ous tribes  who  followed  trapping  added  to  the  sum  total  of 
the  men  engaged  in  exterminating  the  fur-bearing  animals. 
The  caravan  of  Captain  Sublette  and  Robert  Campbell 
started  that  year  from  Independence,  Missouri.  There  were 
sixty  men  in  the  outfit,  nearly  all  of  them  being  recruits. 
As  they  were  about  ready  to  leave,  a  company  from  Boston, 
commanded  by  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth,  arrived,  bound  for  the 
Columbia  river.  Captain  Sublette's  men  were  much  amused 
at  the  sight  of  these  "down-easters."  They  had  heard  of 
them  before.  The  newspapers  of  St.  Louis  had  given  an 
account  of  the  plans  and  purposes  of  the  Wyeth  expedition. 
They  had  started  out  of  New  England  with  twenty-two  per- 
sons and  with  a  vehicle  that  was  only  half  vehicle;  that  is, 
it  ran  on  wheels  on  the  land,  and  when  water  was  reached  it 
was  intended  to  be  turned  upside  down  and  the  top  form  a 
boat;  but  this  half  land  and  half  water  combination  had 
been  abandoned  at  St.  Louis.  Not  one  of  Captain  Wyeth's 
company  had  ever  been  west  or  had  seen  a  wild  Indian,  and 
being  city-bred  were  unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  fire-arms, 
nor  had  they  any  experience  in  horsemanship.  They  were 
men  of  theory,  not  practice,  but  many  of  them  were  college 
graduates.  Two  of  Mr.  Wyeth's  brothers,  John  and  Jacob, 
were  members  of  his  company.  I  am  particular  to  mention 
these  New  Englanders,  as  they  are  to  be  heard  from  in  a 
few  short  weeks  in  Wyoming.  Mr.  Wyeth  furnished  the 
capital  to  fit  out  the  expedition,  and  his  purpose  was  to  es- 
tablish a  post  on  the  Columbia  river  and  trade  for  salmon 
and  furs.  He  made  up  in  enterprise  for  what  he  lacked  in 
experience,  and  like  most  educated  New  England  men,  soon 
"caught  on"  and  found  no  difficulty  in  being  of  use  to  him- 
self and  others  in  the  west.  He  possessed  ability  of  a  high 
order  and  his  courage  was  soon  to  be  tested  in  the  wilds  of 
Oreen  River  and  Pierre's  Hole.    Captain  Sublette  evidently 


136  History  of  Wyoming- 

had  great  respect  for  this  man  from  Boston  and  he  invited 
him  to  go  in  convoy  of  his  train,  which  was  ready  to  depart 
for  the  annual  rendezvous  in  Pierre's  Hole.  The  combined 
party  started  out  and  pursued  the  now  well  worn  route  up 
the  Platte.  On  the  way  west  Captain  Wyeth  and  his  men 
picked  up  many  ideas  regarding  conditions  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  they  learned  something  of  horsemanship 
and  how  to  shoot  buffalo  and  other  wild  animals,  and  what 
is  equally  important,  they  learned  of  the  treacherous  charac- 
ter of  the  wild  tribes  who  infested  the  mountains. 

Robert  Campbell  in  1885  gave  Washington  Irving  an 
account  of  this  trip  and  what  befell  the  party  when  they 
reached  the  mountains,  so  I  will  use  this  story  of  Campbell, 
taking  up  the  narrative  after  the  cavalcade  had  come  to  the 
eastern  border  of  Wyoming. 

"In  the  course  of  their  march,  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  the  part- 
ner of  the  company  who  was  resident  at  that  time  beyond 
the  mountains,  came  down  from  the  rendezvous  at  Pierre'* 
Hole  to  meet  them  and  hurry  them  forward.  He  traveled  in 
company  with  them  until  they  reached  the  Sweetwater; 
then  taking  a  couple  of  horses,  one  for  the  saddle  and  the 
other  as  a  pack-horse,  he  started  off  express  for  Pierre's  Hole 
to  make  arrangements  against  their  arrival,  that  he  might 
commence  his  hunting  campaign  before  the  rival  company. 
Fitzpatrick  was  a  hardy  and  experienced  mountaineer,  and 
knew  all  the  passes  and  defiles.  As  he  was  pursuing  his 
lonely  course  up  the  Green  River  Valley,  he  descried  several 
horsemen  at  a  distance  and  came  to  a  halt  to  reconnoitre. 
He  supposed  them  to  be  some  detachment  from  the  rendez- 
vous, or  a  party  of  friendly  Indians.  They  perceived  him, 
and  setting  up  the  war  whoop  dashed  forward  at  full  speed. 
He  saw  at  once  his  mistake  and  his  peril — they  were  Black- 
feet.  Springing  on  his  fleetest  horse  and  abandoning  the 
other  to  the  enemy,  he  made  for  the  mountains  and  succeed- 
ed in  escaping  up  one  of  the  most  dangerous  defiles.  Here 
he  concealed  himself  until  he  thought  the  Indians  had  gone 
off,  when  he  returned  into  the  valley.  He  was  again  pur- 
sued, lost  his  remaining  horse,  and  only  escaped  by  scramb- 
ling up  among  the  cliffs.  For  several  days  he  remained 
lurking  among  rocks  and  precipices  and  almost  famished, 
having  but  one  remaining  charge  in  his  rifle,  which  he  kept 
for  self-defense. 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  137 

"In  the  meantime,  Sublette  and  Campbell,  with  their 
fellow-traveler,  Wyeth,  had  pursued  their  march  unmo- 
lested and  arrived  in  the  Green  River  Valley,  totally  uncon- 
scious that  there  was  any  lurking  enemy  on  hand.  They  had 
encamped  one  night  on  the  banks  of  a  small  stream  which 
came  down  from  the  Wind  River  Mountains,  when  about 
midnight  a  band  of  Indians  burst  upon  their  camp,  with  hor- 
rible yells  and  whoops,  and  a  discharge  of  guns  and  arrows. 
Happily  no  other  harm  was  done  than  wounding  one  mule, 
and  causing  several  horses  to  break  loose  from  their  pickets. 
The  camp  was  instantly  in  arms;  but  the  Indians  retreated 
with  yells  of  exultation,  carrying  off  several  of  the  horses 
under  cover  of  the  the  night, 

"This  was  somewhat  of  a  disagreeable  foretaste  of 
mountain  life  to  some  of  Wyeth's  band,  accustomed  only  to 
the  regular  and  peaceful  life  of  New  England;  nor  was  it 
altogether  to  the  taste  of  Captain  Sublette's  men,  who  were 
chiefly  Creoles  and  townsmen  of  St.  Louis.  They  continued 
their  march  the  next  morning,  keeping  scouts  ahead  and 
upon  their  flanks,  and  arrived  without  further  molestation 
at  Pierre's  Hole. 

"The  first  inquiry  of  Captain  Sublette  on  reaching 
the  rendezvous  was  for  Fitzpatrick.  He  had  not  arrived,  nor 
had  any  intelligence  been  received  respecting  him.  Great 
uneasiness  was  now  entertained  lest  he  should  have  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Blackfeet  who  had  made  the  midnight 
attack  upon  the  camp.  It  w  as  a  matter  of  general  joy,  there- 
fore, when  he  made  his  appearance  conducted  by  two  Iro- 
quois half-breed  hunters.  He  had  lurked  for  several  days 
among  the  mountains  until  almost  starved;  at  length  he 
escaped  the  vigilance  of  his  enemies  in  the  night,  and  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  meet  the  two  Iroquois  hunters,  who,  being  on 
horseback,  conveyed  him  without  difficulty  to  the  rendez- 
vous. He  arrived  there  so  emaciated  that  he  could  scarcely 
be  recognized. 

"The  valley  called  Pierre's  Hole  is  about  thirty  miles  in 
length  and  fifteen  in  width,  bounded  to  the  west  and  south 
by  low  and  broken  ridges,  and  overlooked  to  the  east  by 
three  lofty  mountains  called  the  three  Tetons,  which  domi- 
neer as  landmarks  over  a  vast  extent  of  country. 

"A  fine  stream,  fed  by  rivulets  and  mountain  springs, 
pours  through  the  valley  towards  the  north,  dividing  it  into 
nearly  equal  parts.  The  meadows  on  its  borders  are  broad 
and  extensive,  covered  with  willow  and  cottonwood  trees. 


138  History  of  Wyoming- 

so  closely  interlocked  and  matted  together  as  to  be  nearly 
impassable. 

''In  this  valley  was  collected  the  motley  populace  con- 
nected with  the  fur  trade.  Here  the  two  rival  companies 
had  their  encampments,  with  their  retainers  of  all  kinds; 
traders,  trappers,  hunters  and  half-breeds  assembled  from 
all  quarters,  awaiting  their  yearly  supplies  and  their  orders 
to  start  off  in  new  directions.  Here  also  the  savage  tribes 
eonnected  with  the  trade,  the  Nez  Perces  or  Chopunnish  In- 
dians, and  Flatheads,  had  pitched  their  lodges  beside  the 
streams,  and  with  their  squaws  awaited  the  distribution  of 
goods  and  finery.  There  was,  moreover,  a  band  of  fifteen 
free  trappers,  commanded  by  a  gallant  leader  from  Arkan- 
sas named  Sinclare,  who  held  their  encampment  a  little 
apart  from  the  rest.  Such  was  the  wild  and  heterogeneous 
assemblage,  amounting  to  several  hundred  men,  civilized 
and  savage,  distributed  in  tents  and  lodges  in  the  several 
camps. 

"The  arrival  of  Captain  Sublette  with  supplies  put  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  in  full  activity.  The  wares 
and  merchandise  were  quickly  opened  and  as  quickly  dis- 
posed of  to  Indians  and  trappers ;  the  usual  excitement  and 
revelry  took  place,  after  which  all  hands  began  to  disperse 
to  their  several  destinations. 

"On  the  17th  of  July  a  small  brigade  of  fourteen  trap- 
pers, led  by  Milton  Sublette,  brother  of  the  Captain,  set  out 
with  the  intention  of  proceeding  to  the  southwest.  They 
were  accompanied  by  Sinclare  and  his  fifteen  free  trappers; 
Wyeth,  also,  and  his  New  England  band  of  beaver  hunters 
and  salmon  fishers,  now  dwindled  down  to  eleven,  took  this 
opportunity  to  prosecute  their  cruise  in  the  wilderness, 
accompanied  with  such  experienced  pilots.  On  the  first 
day  they  proceeded  about  eight  miles  to  the  southeast 
and  encamped  for  the  night,  still  in  the  valley  of 
Pierre's  Hole.  On  the  following  morning,  just  as  they 
were  raising  their  camp,  they  observed  a  long  line  of  people 
pouring  down  a  defile  of  the  mountains.  They  at  first  sup- 
posed they  were  Fontenelle  and  his  party,  whose  arrival  had 
been  daily  expected.  Wyeth,  however,  reconnoitered  them 
with  a  spy-glass  and  soon  perceived  they  were  Indians. 
They  were  divided  into  two  parties,  forming  in  the  whole 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren. Some  were  on  horseback,  fantastically  painted  and 
arrayed,  with  scarlet  blankets  fluttering  in  the  wind.  The 
greater  part,  however,  were  on  foot.    They  had  perceived  the 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  139 

trappers  before  they  were  themselves  discovered,  and  came 
down  yelling  and  whooping  into  the  plain.  On  nearer  ap- 
proach they  were  ascertained  to  be  Blackfeet.  One  of  the 
trappers  of  Sublette's  brigade,  a  half-breed  named  Antoine 
Godin,  now  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  forth  as  if  to  hold  a 
conference.  He  was  the  son  of  an  Iroquois  hunter  who  had 
been  cruelly  murdered  by  the  Blackfeet  at  a  small  stream 
below  the  mountains,  which  still  bears  his  name.  In  com- 
pany with  Antoine  rode  forth  a  Flathead  Indian,  whose 
once  powerful  tribe  had  been  completely  broken  down  in 
their  wars  with  the  Blackfeet.  Both  of  them,  therefore, 
cherished  the  most  vengeful  hostility  against  these  maraud- 
ers of  the  mountains.  The  Blackfeet  came  to  a  halt.  One 
of  the  chiefs  advanced  singly  and  unarmed,  bearing  the  pipe 
of  peace.  This  overture  was  certainly  pacific;  but  Antoine 
and  the  Flathead  were  predisposed  to  hostility,  and  pre- 
tended to  consider  it  a  treacherous  movement. 

**  *Is  your  piece  charged?'  said  Antoine  to  his  red  com- 
panion. 

"  'It  is.' 

"  'Then  cock  it  and  follow  me.' 

''They  met  the  Blackfoot  chief  half  way,  who  extended 
his  hand  in  friendship.    Antoine  grasped  it. 

"  'Fire  I'  cried  he. 

"The  Flathead  leveled  his  piece  and  brought  the  Black- 
foot  to  the  ground.  Antoine  snatched  off  his  scarlet  blan- 
ket, which  was  richly  ornamented,  and  galloped  off  with  it 
as  a  trophy  to  the  camp,  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  whistling 
after  him.  The  Indians  immediately  threw  themselves  into 
the  edge  of  a  swamp,  among  willows  and  cottonwood  trees, 
interwoven  with  vines.  Here  they  began  to  fortify  them- 
selves; the  women  digging  a  trench  and  throwing  up  a 
breastwork  of  logs  and  branches,  deep  hid  in  the  bosom  of 
the  wood,  while  the  warriors  skirmished  at  the  edge  to  keep 
the  trappers  at  bay. 

"The  latter  took  their  position  in  a  ravine  in  front, 
whence  they  kept  up  a  scattering  fire.  As  to  Wyeth  and  his 
little  band  of  'down-easters,'  they  were  perfectly  astounded 
by  this  second  specimen  of  life  in  the  wilderness;  the  men 
being  especially  unused  to  bush-fighting  and  the  use  of  rifles 
were  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed.  Wyeth,  however,  acted  as  a 
skillful  commander.  He  got  all  his  horses  into  camp  and 
secured  them;  then  making  a  breastwork  of  his  packs  of 
goods,  he  charged  his  men  to  remain  in  garrison  and  not  to 
stir  out  of  their  fort.    For  himself,  he  mingled  with  the  other 


I40  History  of  Wyoming- 

leaders,  determined  to  take  his  share  in  the  conflict.  In  the 
meantime  an  express  had  been  sent  otf  to  the  rendezvous 
for  reinforcements.  Captain  Snblette  and  his  associate, 
Campbell,  were  at  their  camp  when  the  express  came  gallop- 
ing across  the  plain,  waving  his  cap  and  giving  the  alarm, 
'Blackfeet!  Blackfeet!  a  fight  in  the  upper  part  of  the  valley! 
to  arms!  to  arms!' 

"The  alarm  was  passed  from  camp  to  camp.  It  was  a 
common  cause.  Every  one  turned  out  with  horse  and  riiie. 
The  Nez  Perces  and  Flatheads  joined.  As  fast  as  horseman 
could  arm  and  mount  he  galloped  off;  the  valley  was  soon 
alive  with  white  men  and  red  men  at  full  speed. 

'^Sublette  ordered  his  men  to  keep  to  the  camp,  being 
recruits  from  St.  Louis  and  unused  to  Indian  warfare.  He 
and  his  friend  Campbell  prepared  for  action.  Throwing  off 
their  coats,  rolling  up  their  sleeves  and  arming  themselves 
with  pistols  and  rifles,  they  mounted  their  horses  and  dashed 
forward  among  the  first.  As  they  rode  along,  they  made 
their  wills,  in  soldier-like  style;  each  stating  how  his  effects 
should  be  disposed  of  in  case  of  his  death,  and  appointing 
the  other  his  executor. 

"The  Blackfeet  warriors  had  supposed  the  brigade  of 
Milton  Sublette  all  the  foes  they  had  to  deal  with,  and  were 
astonished  to  behold  the  whole  valley  suddenly  swarming 
with  horsemen  galloping  to  the  field  of  action.  They  with- 
drew into  their  fort,  which  was  completely  hid  from  sight  in 
the  dark  and  tangled  woods.  Most  of  their  women  and  chil- 
dren had  retreated  to  the  mountains.  The  trappers  now 
sallied  forth  and  approached  the  swamp,  firing  into  the 
thickets  at  random ;  the  Blackfeet  had  a  better  sight  at  their 
adversaries,  who  were  in  the  open  field,  and  a  half-breed  was 
wounded  in  the  shoulder. 

"When  Captain  Sublette  arrived  he  urged  to  penetrate 
the  swamp  and  storm  the  fort,  but  all  hung  back  in  awe  of 
the  dismal  horrors  of  the  place  and  the  dangers  of  attacking 
such  desperadoes  in  their  savage  den.  The  very  Indian  al- 
lies, though  accustomed  to  bush-fighting,  regarded  it  as  al- 
most impenetrable  and  full  of  frightful  danger.  Sublette 
was  not  to  be  turned  from  his  purpose,  and  offered  to  lead 
the  way  into  the  swamp.  Campbell  stepped  forward  to  ac- 
company him.  Before  entering  the  perilous  wood,  Sublette 
took  his  brothers  aside  and  told  them  in  case  he  fell,  Camp- 
bell, who  knew  his  will,  was  to  be  his  executor.  This  done 
he  grasped  his  rifle  and  pushed  into  the  thicket,  followed  by 
Campbell.    Sinclair,  the  partisan  from  Arkansas,  was  at  the 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  141 

edge  of  the  wood  with  his  brother  and  a  few  of  his  men. 
Excited  by  the  gallant  example  of  the  two  friends,  he  pressed 
forward  to  share  their  dangers. 

"The  swamp  was  produced  by  the  labors  of  the  beaver, 
which  by  damming  up  a  stream  had  inundated  a  portion  of 
the  valley.  The  place  was  all  overgrown  with  woods  and 
thickets,  so  closely  matted  and  entangled  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  see  ten  paces  ahead,  and  the  three  associates  in 
peril  had  to  crawl  along  one  after  another,  making  their  way 
by  putting  the  branches  and  vines  aside,  but  doing  it  with 
caution,  lest  they  should  attract  the  eye  of  some  lurking 
marksman.  They  took  the  lead  by  turns,  each  advancing 
about  twenty  yards  at  a  time,  and  now  and  then  hallooing 
to  their  men  to  follow.  Some  of  the  latter  gradually  entered 
the  swamp  and  followed  a  little  distance  in  their  rear, 

"They  had  now  reached  a  more  open  part  of  the  wood 
and  caught  glimpses  of  the  rude  fortress  from  between  the 
trees.  It  was  a  mere  breastwork,  as  we  have  said,  of  logs 
and  branches,  with  blankets,  buffalo  robes  and  the  leathern 
covers  of  lodges  extended  round  the  top  as  a  screen.  The 
movements  of  their  leaders,  as  they  groped  their  way,  had 
been  descried  by  the  sharp-sighted  enemy.  As  Sinclare,  who 
was  in  the  advance,  was  putting  some  branches  aside,  he 
was  shot  through  the  body.  He  fell  on  the  spot.  'Take  me 
to  my  brother,'  he  said  to  Campbell.  The  latter  gave  him  in 
charge  of  some  of  the  men,  who  conveyed  him  out  of  the 
swamp.  Sublette  now  took  the  advance.  As  he  was  recon- 
noitering  the  fort  he  perceived  an  Indian  peeping  through 
an  aperture.  In  an  instant  his  rifle  was  leveled  and  dis- 
charged and  the  ball  struck  the  savage  in  the  eye.  While  he 
was  reloading  he  called  to  Campbell  and  pointed  out  to  him 
the  hole.  'Watch  that  place,'  said  he,  'and  you  will  soon 
have  a  fair  chance  for  a  shot.'  Scarce  had  he  uttered  the 
words  when  a  ball  struck  him  in  the  shoulder  and  almost 
wheeled  him  around.  His  first  thought  was  to  take  hold  of 
his  arm  with  his  other  hand  and  move  it  up  and  down.  He 
ascertained,  to  his  satisfaction,  that  the  bone  was  not 
broken.  The  next  moment  he  was  so  faint  that  he  could  not 
stand.  Campbell  took  him  in  his  arms  and  carried  him  out 
of  the  thicket.  The  same  shot  that  struck  Sublette  wounded 
another  man  in  the  head. 

"A  brisk  fire  was  now  opened  by  the  mountaineers  from 
the  wood,  answered  occasionally  from  the  fort.  Unluckily 
the  trappers  and  their  allies,  in  searching  for  the  fort,  had 
got  scattered  so  that  Wyeth  and  a  number  of  Nez  Perces 


142  History  of  Wyoming- 

approached  the  fort  on  the  northwest  side,  while  others  did 
the  same  on  the  opposite  quarter.  A  crossfire  thus  took 
place  which  occasionally  did  mischief  to  friends  as  well  as 
foes.  An  Indian  was  shot  down  close  to  Wyeth  by  a  ball 
which,  he  was  convinced,  had  been  sped  from  the  rifle  of  a 
trapper  on  the  other  side  of  the  fort. 

"The  number  of  whites  and  their  Indian  allies  had  by 
this  time  so  increased  by  arrivals  from  the  rendezvous  that 
the  Blackfeet  were  completely  overmatched.  They  kept 
doggedly  in  their  fort,  however,  making  no  olfer  of  surren- 
der. An  occasional  firing  into  the  breastwork  was  kept  up 
during  the  day.  Now  and  then  one  of  the  Indian  allies,  in 
bravado,  would  rush  up  to  the  fort,  fire  over  the  ramparts, 
tear  off  a  buffalo  robe  or  a  scarlet  blanket,  and  return  with 
it  in  triumph  to  his  comrades.  Most  of  the  savage  garrison 
that  fell,  however,  were  killed  in  the  first  part  of  the  attack. 
At  one  time  it  was  resolved  to  set  fire  to  the  fort,  and  the 
squaws  belonging  to  the  allies  were  employed  to  collect  com- 
bustibles. This,  however,  was  abandoned,  the  Nez  Perces 
being  unwilling  to  destroy  the  robes  and  blankets  and  other 
spoils  of  the  enemy,  which  they  felt  sure  would  fall  into 
their  hands. 

"The  Indians  when  fighting  are  prone  to  taunt  and  re- 
vile each  other.  During  one  of  the  pauses  of  the  battle  the 
voice  of  the  Blackfeet  chief  was  heard. 

"  'So  long,'  said  he,  'as  we  had  powder  and  ball  we 
fought  you  in  the  open  field;  when  those  were  spent,  we 
retreated  here  to  die  with  our  women  and  children.  You 
may  burn  us  in  our  fort;  but  stay  by  our  ashes  and  you  who 
are  so  hungry  for  fighting  will  soon  have  enough.  There  are 
four  hundred  lodges  of  our  brethren  at  hand.  They  will 
soon  be  here — their  arms  are  strong — their  hearts  are  big — 
they  will  avenge  us!' 

"This  speech  was  translated  two  or  three  times  by  Nez 
Perces  and  Creole  interpreters.  By  the  time  it  was  rendered 
into  English,  the  chief  was  made  to  say  that  four  hundred 
lodges  of  his  tribe  were  attacking  the  encampment  at  the 
other  end  of  the  valley.  Everyone  now  was  for  hurrying  to 
the  defense  of  the  rendezvous.  A  party  was  left  to  keep 
watch  upon  the  fort;  the  rest  galloped  off  to  the  camp.  As 
night  came  on  the  trappers  drew  out  of  the  swamp  and  re- 
mained about  the  skirt  of  the  wood.  By  morning  their  com- 
panions returned  from  the  rendezvous  with  the  report  that 
all  was  safe.  As  the  day  opened,  they  ventured  within  the 
swamp  and  approached  the  fort.    All  was  silent.    They  ad- 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  143 

vanced  up  to  it  without  opposition.  They  entered;  it  had 
been  abandoned  in  the  night,  and  the  Blackfeet  had  effected 
their  retreat,  carrying  off  their  wounded  on  litters  made  of 
branches,  leaving  bloody  traces  on  the  herbage.  The  bodies 
of  ten  Indians  were  found  within  the  fort;  among  them  the 
one  shot  in  the  eye  by  Sublette.  The  Blackfeet  afterwards 
reported  that  they  had  lost  twenty-six  warriors  in  this  bat- 
tle. Thirty-two  horses  were  likewise  found  killed;  among 
them  were  some  of  those  recently  carried  off  from  Sublette's 
party  in  the  night,  which  showed  that  these  were  the  very 
savages  that  had  attacked  him.  They  proved  to  be  an  ad- 
vance party  of  the  main  body  of  Blackfeet  which  had  been 
upon  the  trail  of  Sublette's  party.  Five  white  men  and  one 
half-breed  were  killed,  and  several  wounded.  Seven  of  the 
Nez  Perces  were  also  killed,  and  six  wounded.  They  had  an 
old  chief  who  was  reputed  as  invulnerable.  In  the  course  of 
the  action  he  was  hit  by  a  spent  ball,  and  threw  up  blood; 
but  his  skin  was  unbroken.  His  people  were  now  fully  con- 
vinced that  he  was  proof  against  powder  and  ball. 

"A  striking  circumstance  is  related  as  having  occurred 
the  morning  after  the  battle.  As  some  of  the  trappers  and 
their  Indian  allies  were  approaching  the  fort,  through  the 
woods  they  beheld  an  Indian  woman,  of  noble  form  and  fea- 
tures, leaning  against  a  tree.  Their  surprise  at  her  linger- 
ing here  alone,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  her  enemies,  was  dis- 
pelled when  they  saw  the  corpse  of  a  warrior  at  her  feet. 
Either  she  was  so  lost  in  grief  as  not  to  perceive  their  ap- 
proach, or  a  proud  spirit  kept  her  silent  and  motionless. 
The  Indians  set  up  a  yell  on  discovering  her,  and  before  the 
trappers  could  interfere  her  mangled  body  fell  upon  the 
corpse  which  she  had  refused  to  abandon.  We  have  heard 
this  anecdote  discredited  by  one  of  the  leaders  who  had  been 
in  the  battle;  but  the  fact  may  have  taken  place  without 
his  seeing  it,  and  been  concealed  from  him.  It  is  an  instance 
of  female  devotion,  even  to  the  death,  which  we  are  well 
disposed  to  believe  and  record. 

"After  the  battle,  the  brigade  of  Milton  Sublette,  to- 
gether with  the  free  trappers  and  Wyeth's  New  England 
band,  remained  some  days  at  the  rendezvous  to  see  if  the 
main  body  of  Blackfeet  intended  to  make  an  attack ;  nothing 
of  the  kind  occurring,  they  once  more  put  themselves  in  mo> 
tion  and  proceeded  on  their  route  toward  the  southwest. 

Captain  Sublette  having  distributed  his  supplies,  had 
intended  to  set  off  on  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  taking  with 
him  the  peltries  collected  from  the  trappers  and  Indians. 


144  History  of  Wyoming- 

His  wound,  however,  obliged  him  to  postpone  his  departure. 
Several  who  were  to  have  accompanied  him  became  impa- 
tient at  this  delay.  Among  these  was  a  young  Bostonian, 
Mr.  Joseph  More,  one  of  the  followers  of  Mr.  Wyeth,  who 
had  seen  enough  of  mountain  life  and  savage  warfare,  and 
was  eager  to  return  to  the  abodes  of  civilization.  He  and 
six  others,  among  whom  were  a  Mr.  Foy  of  Mississippi,  Mr. 
Alfred  K.  Stephens  of  St.  Louis  and  two  grandsons  of  the 
celebrated  Daniel  Boone,  set  out  together,  in  advance  of 
Sublette's  party,  thinking  they  would  make  their  own  way 
through  the  mountains. 

"It  was  just  five  days  after  the  battle  of  the  swamp 
that  these  seven  companions  were  making  their  way  through 
Jackson's  Hole,  a  valley  not  far  from  the  three  Tetons,  when, 
as  they  were  descending  a  hill,  a  party  of  Blackfeet  that  lay 
in  ambush  started  up  with  terrific  yells.  The  horse  of  the 
young  Bostonian,  who  was  in  front,  wheeled  round  with  af- 
fright and  threw  his  unskillful  rider.  The  young  man 
scrambled  up  the  side  of  the  hill,  but,  unaccustomed  to 
such  wild  scenes,  lost  his  presence  of  mind  and  stood  as  if 
paralyzed  on  the  edge  of  a  bank  until  the  Blackfeet  came 
up  and  slew  him  on  the  spot.  His  comrades  had  fled  on  the 
first  alarm;  but  two  of  them,  Foy  and  Stephens,  seeing  his 
danger,  paused  when  they  got  half  way  up  the  hill,  turned 
back,  dismounted,  and  hastened  to  his  assistance.  Foy  was 
instantly  killed.  Stephens  was  severely  wounded  but  es- 
caped to  die  five  days  afterwards.  The  survivors  returned 
to  the  camp  of  Captain  Sublette,  bringing  tidings  of  this  new 
disaster.  That  hardy  leader,  as  soon  as  he  could  bear  the 
journey,  set  out  on  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  accompanied  by 
Campbell.  As  they  had  a  number  of  pack  horses  richly  laden 
with  peltries  to  convoy,  they  chose  a  different  route  through 
the  mountains,  out  of  the  way,  as  they  hoped,  of  the  lurking 
bands  of  Blackfeet.  They  succeeded  in  making  the  frontier 
in  safety," 

I  have  seen  a  number  of  accounts  of  this  fight,  and  all 
of  them  charge  the  white  men  with  being  the  aggressors. 
Kev.  Samuel  Parker,  who  passed  over  the  battlefield  in  1835, 
says  that  the  battle  was  not  much  to  the  honor  of  civilized 
Americans.  Other  writers  speak  in  the  same  vein;  but  all 
these  seem  to  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  various  bands 
that  were  included  under  the  name  Blackfeet  never  lost  an 
opportunity  to  cowardly  murder  a  white  man  when  they 


Fiir  Trappers  and  Traders.  145 

came  upon  him  in  a  defenseless  condition.  The  trappers  had 
suffered  so  often  and  so  severely  at  the  hands  of  these  ma- 
rauders and  murderers  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  learned  not 
to  trust  them  even  when  they  came  presenting  the  pipe  of 
peace.  Their  intentions  may  have  been  good  at  this  particu- 
lar time,  but  it  was  only  because  the  trappers  were  well 
armed  and  in  sufficient  numbers  to  protect  themselves. 
Western  men  who  know  anything  of  pioneering  will  hardly 
condemn  the  killing  of  these  Indians,  no  matter  what  the 
circumstances.  Captain  Lewis  killed  one  of  the  Blackfeet  in 
1806  after  the  Indian  had  stolen  his  horse  and  was  running 
off  with  it.  The  thief  was  ordered  to  stop,  but  he  defiantly 
rode  on.  The  only  way  the  Captain  could  regain  his  horse  and 
save  himself  from  walking  many  miles  was  to  kill  the  In- 
dian, which  he  did,  and  all  the  world  applauded  him  for  the 
act,  but  Indian  logic  would  not  permit  them  to  view  the 
matter  in  the  same  light  as  civilization  did.  They  visited 
their  vengeance  on  the  next  white  man  who  came  along. 
John  Potts  was  their  first  victim;  Colter  would  have  been 
the  second  had  he  not  by  almost  superhuman  effort  saved 
his  life;  Ezekiel  Williams  next  lost  five  men  at  the  hands  of 
these  bloody  monsters,  and  so  their  work  of  killing  went  on 
until  their  tribe  was  utterly  crushed  by  the  government. 
It  is  estimated  that  the  Blackfeet  killed  first  and  last  3,000 
white  people,  many  of  them  women  and  children,  and  all 
this  because  Captain  Lewis  killed  a  horse  thief  whom  ha 
caught  in  the  act. 

It  is  just  possible  that  the  magic  pen  and  power  of  Ir- 
ving has  to  some  extent  exaggerated  this  engagement  with 
the  Blackfeet,  but  as  he  drew  his  facts  from  a  source  en- 
tirely reliable,  we  must  conclude  that  the  narrative  is  cor- 
rect. 

Fitzpatrick  and  Bridger,  a  few  days  after  the  fight, 
started  north,  intending  to  trap  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Missouri.  Before  leaving  camp,  they  proposed  to  Vander- 
burgh and  Dripps,  who  represented  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, to  divide  the  territory  with  them,  so  as  not  to  interfere 
with  each  other.  This  proposition  was  rejected,  and  much 
—(10) 


146  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  the  annoyance  of  Fitzpatrick  and  Bridger,  they  followed 
on  and  kept  with  them  for  several  days.  Vanderburgh  and 
Dripps  were  strangers  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  it 
may  have  been  this  fact  that  induced  them  to  keep  near 
Fitzpatrick  and  Bridger.  The  latter  did  not  appreciate  their 
company  and  resolved  to  get  rid  of  them,  so  they  turned 
abruptly  west  into  the  country  of  the  Blackfeet  and  not 
many  days  afterwards  Vanderburgh  and  Dripps  divided 
their  force  and  started  out  to  trap  regardless  of  their  adver- 
saries. With  about  fifty  men  each  they  went  in  different 
directions.  Some  time  later  Vanderburgh's  party  was  at- 
tacked by  Blackfeet  and  the  leader  was  killed;  but  it  was 
not  an  easy  victory  for  the  Indians,  as  the  trappers  fought 
with  great  bravery  and  succeeded  in  killing  a  number  of  the 
savage  foe.  The  death  of  Henry  Vanderburgh  was  deeply 
regretted  by  the  American  Fur  Company,  as  he  was  one  of 
their  bravest  leaders.  The  Blackfeet  now  turned  their  at- 
tention to  the  party  under  Fitzpatrick  and  Bridger,  and 
after  following  them  many  days  the  white  men  and  Indians 
met  face  to  face  on  an  open  plain  but  near  some  rocks  and 
cliffs.  The  Blackfeet  made  friendly  signs  while  yet  some 
distance  away  and  the  white  men  replied  in  the  same  man- 
ner, but  both  kept  at  a  distance;  finally  the  chief  of  the 
Blackfeet  came  forward,  bearing  the  pipe  of  peace,  and  the 
whites  went  to  meet  him.  The  pipe  was  smoked  and  all  the 
ceremonies  of  such  an  occasion  duly  observed.  While  this 
was  going  on  Bridger  left  the  main  body  of  the  trappers 
and  rode  toward  the  place  where  the  conference  was  being 
held.  As  this  renowned  leader  came  up  the  Indian  chief, 
seeing  him,  stepped  forward  to  shake  hands.  From  soms 
cause,  which  Bridger  could  never  afterwards  explain,  he 
felt  a  feeling  of  distrust  and  cocked  his  rifle.  The  quick  ear 
of  the  chief  caught  the  click  of  the  lock  and  in  an  instant  he 
grasped  the  barrel  and  forced  the  muzzle  downward  just 
as  the  gun  went  off.  His  next  move  was  to  wrench  the  rifle 
from  Bridger's  hands  and  fell  him  with  it  to  the  earth.  Al- 
ready Bridger  had  received  two  arrows  in  his  back.  The 
chief  now  vaulted  into  the  saddle  of  the  fallen  leader  and 


Fur  Trappers  and  Traders.  147 

galloped  off  to  his  band ;  then  there  was  a  rush  by  both  par- 
ties to  gain  positions  behind  rocks  and  trees,  and  soon  a 
fusillade  was  opened  on  both  sides  and  kept  up  until  night 
closed  in,  when  the  contestants  withdrew  from  the  field. 
This  affair  greatly  humiliated  Bridger,  but  it  undoubtedly 
served  to  make  him  the  careful  leader  which  he  afterwards 
became.  At  that  time  he  had  been  ten  years  in  the  service 
and  had  been  uniformly  successful  in  his  fights  with  the  In- 
dians. The  wounds  he  received  in  his  back  were  not  danger^ 
ous,  but  the  arrow  points  remained  in  the  flesh  and  were 
cut  out  by  Dr.  Whitman  at  Green  River  in  1835. 

In  spite  of  the  Indian  troubles,  the  fur  trappers  of  the 
year  1832  were  richly  rewarded,  and  the  shipment  of  furs 
amounted  in  round  numbers  to  something  like  |175,000. 
This  was  the  product  gathered  by  the  Sublette  trappers, 
which  included  the  bands  of  Fitzpatrick,  Campbell,  Bridger, 
Harris,  Clements,  Milton  Sublette  and  a  dozen  or  more  par- 
tisans of  less  prominence.  During  this  same  year  Captain 
B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  at  the  head  of  110  men,  entered  Wyo- 
ming, but  of  this  rather  distinguished  character  I  will  tell 
in  a  separate  chapter. 


48  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CAPTAIN   BONNEVILLE   IN   WYOMING. 

Leaves  Fort  Osage  with  Twenty  Wagons  and  One  Hundred  and 
Ten  Men — Reaches  the  Platte  River  Below  Grand  Island — 
Scott's  Bluff  and  Origin  of  the  Name — Follows  the  North 
Fork  of  the  Platte — Crosses  Over  to  the  Sweetwater — Ex- 
perience of  Tom  Cain — Rejoicings  After  Crossing  the  Conti- 
nental Divide — Fontenelle  Overtakes  the  Bonneville  Party — 
Arrival  at  Green  River — Fortifies  His  Camp — Free  Trappers 
Visited  by  Blackfeet. 

Among  the  most  noted  fur  traders  and  trappers  ever  in 
Wyoming  was  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville  of  the  Seventh 
United  States  Infantry,  who  secured  leave  of  absence  in 
1831  and  on  the  1st  of  May,  1832,  started  west  from  Fort 
Osage  on  the  Missouri  River  with  110  men  and  a  train  of 
twenty  wagons  drawn  by  four  mules,  four  horses  or  four 
oxen  each.  These  wagons  were  loaded  with  ammunition, 
provisions  and  merchandise.  The  expedition  was  well  or- 
ganized and  conducted  with  military  precision.  Captain 
Bonneville  selected  two  subordinate  officers  to  assist  him  in 
the  command;  the  first  being  J.  R.  Walker,  who  was  a  native 
of  Tennessee  but  who  had  lived  for  many  years  on  the  Mis- 
souri frontier  and  had  led  a  life  of  adventure,  being  one  of 
the  first  to  penetrate  the  southwest  as  far  as  Santa  Fe.  On 
this  expedition  he  trapped  for  beaver  and  was  finally  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Spaniards.  After  being  liberated,  he  re- 
mained in  that  country  for  a  time,  engaged  with  the  Span- 
iards in  a  war  against  the  Pawnee  Indians.  On  his  return  to 
Missouri  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  his  county,  in  which  posi- 
tion he  won  distinction  as  a  brave  and  faithful  civil  officer. 
After  leaving  the  sheriff's  office  he  engaged  in  fur  trapping 
and  trading  and  it  was  while  thus  employed  that  he  met 
Captain  Bonneville  and  enlisted  in  his  service.  The  second 
assistant  was  M.  S.  Cerre,  whose  experience  and  adventures 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wijoming.  149 

were  not  unlike  those  of  Walker.  He  is  spoken  of  as  an  ex- 
perienced Indian  trader.  These  two  men  were  in  every  way 
worthy  to  serve  under  their  great  leader,  Captain  Bonne- 
ville. This  expedition  had  been  carefully  planned  and  the 
wagons  were  introduced  for  the  reason  that  this  practical 
military  commander  wished  to  avoid  packing  every  morning 
and  unpacking  every  night.  The  labor  thus  saved,  Captain 
Bonneville  argued,  would  more  than  make  up  for  transport- 
ing the  wagons  over  deep  rivers  and  across  the  gulches  whicH 
might  lie  in  his  way.  The  latter  would  also  require  fewer 
horses  than  the  packing  service,  and  from  a  military  point 
of  view  vehicles  would  serve  as  a  sort  of  fortification  in 
ease  of  an  attack  by  hostile  Indians.  The  expedition  started 
out  with  the  wagons  in  two  columns,  close  order  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  party,  which  marched  with  an  advance  and  rear 
guard. 

Captain  Bonneville  had  been  careful  to  inform  himself 
as  to  the  plans  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  and  also  of 
the  Kocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  for  that  year.  He  had 
learned  that  the  rendezvous  of  the  two  companies  for  the 
season  would  be  in  Pierre's  Hole  at  no  great  distance  apart, 
and  the  Captain  resolved  to  make  for  the  same  destination. 
He  took  a  westerly  course  from  Fort  Osage  across  what  is 
now  the  state  of  Kansas,  and  on  the  12th  of  May  reached  the 
Kansas  River  at  a  point  near  the  Agency  of  the  Kansas 
tribe  of  Indians.  This  agency  was  at  the  time  in  charge  of 
General  Clark,  a  brother  of  Captain  Clark  who  accompanied 
Captain  Lewis  on  his  expedition  down  the  Columbia  in  1804. 
Captain  Bonneville  found  General  Clark  living  like  a  patri- 
arch and  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  then  possible  to 
secure  in  the  far  west.  Without  loss  of  time  Bonneville 
pushed  forward  and  on  June  2nd  reached  the  Platte  River, 
twenty-five  miles  below  Grand  Island.  On  the  11th  they 
reached  the  forks  of  the  Platte,  and  taking  the  north  tribu- 
tary of  that  stream,  they  on  the  21st  reached  Scott's  Bluffs.* 

•Captain  Bonneville  makes  this  explanation  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  "  Scotl's  Bluffs  ": 
"  A  ntimber  of  years  since  a  party  were  descending  the  upper  part  of  the  river  in  canoes,  when 
their  frail  barks  were  overturned  and  all  their  powder  spoiled.  Their  rifles  being  thus  rendered 
useless,  they  were  unable  to  procure  lood  by  hunting  and  had  to  depend  upon  roots  and  wild 
fruits  for  subsistence.     After  suffering  extremely  from  hunger,  they  arrived  at  Laramie's  Fork,  a 


150  History  of  Wyoming.     P 

On  these  bluffs  Captain  Bonneville  saw  for  the  first  time 
the  mountain  or  big-horn  sheep.  He  describes  them  as 
"bounding  like  goats  from  crag  to  crag,  often  trooping  along 
the  lofty  shelves  of  the  mountains,  under  the  guidance  of 
some  venerable  patriarch,  with  horns  twisted  lower  than  hid 
muzzle,  and  sometimes  peering  over  the  edge  of  a  precipice, 
so  high  that  they  appear  scarcely  bigger  than  crows;  indeed, 
it  seems  a  pleasure  to  them  to  seek  the  most  rugged  and 
frightful  situations,  doubtless  from  a  feeling  of  security." 

On  the  24th,  while  the  caravan  was  moving  up  the  North 
Platte,  the  party  encountered  a  band  of  Crow  warriors  and 
the  gallant  Captain  on  the  first  alarm  ordered  his  men  to 
prepare  for  action.  Each  man  sprang  to  the  position  as- 
signed him  and  the  little  army  remained  drawn  up  ready  to 
do  battle.  Soon  the  Crows,  to  the  number  of  some  sixty 
warriors,  came  dashing  up  in  a  body  as  if  to  make  a  furious 
charge,  then  suddenly  opened  to  the  right  and  left,  riding  in 
a  circle  around  the  travelers,  yelling  in  the  meantime  in  sav- 
age style,  after  which  the  chief  approached  Captain  Bonne- 
ville, extending  the  hand  of  friendship.  The  pipe  of  peace 
was  smoked  and  good  fellowship  prevailed.  The  Crow  war* 
riors  exhibited  great  friendship  for  Captain  Bonneville  and 
his  men  and  that  night  the  warriors  camped  beside  the  white 
men.  The  evening  was  spent  in  eating  and  smoking  and  the 
Captain  was  enabled  to  get  acquainted  with  the  representa- 
tives of  a  tribe  with  which  he  in  the  next  three  years  was  to 
have  much  to  do.  His  first  impressions  of  this  tribe  were 
evidently  correct.    He  admired  their  horsemanship  and  ap- 

small  tributary  of  the  north  branch  of  the  Nebraska,  about  sixty  miles  above  the  cliffs  just  men- 
tioned. Here  one  of  the  party,  by  the  name  of  Scott,  was  taken  ill,  and  his  companions  came  to 
a  halt,  until  he  should  recover  health  and  strength  sufficient  to  proceed.  While  they  were  search- 
ing round  in  quest  of  edible  roots  they  discovered  a  fi-esh  trail  of  white  men,  who  had  evidently 
but  recently  preceded  them.  Whit  was  to  be  done  ?  By  a  forced  march  they  might  be  able  to 
overtake  this  party  and  thus  be  able  to  reach  the  settlements  in  safety.  Should  they  linger  they 
might  all  perish  of  famine  and  exhaustion.  Scott,  however,  was  incapable  of  moving  ;  they  were 
too  feeble  to  aid  him  forward,  and  dreaded  that  such  a  clog  would  prevent  their  coming  up  with 
the  advance  party.  They  determined,  therefore,  to  abandon  him  to  his  fate.  Accordingly, 
under  pretense  of  seeking  food  and  such  simples  as  might  be  efficacious  in  his  malady,  they  de- 
serted him  and  hastened  forward  upon  the  trail.  They  succeeded  in  overtaking  the  party  of 
which  they  were  in  quest,  but  concealed  their  faithless  desertion  of  Scott,  alleging  that  he  had 
died  of  disease.  On  the  ensuing  summer  these  very  individuals,  visiting  in  these  parts  in  com- 
pany with  others,  came  suddenly  upon  the  bleached  bones  and  grinning  skull  of  a  human  skele- 
ton which  by  certain  signs  they  recognized  as  the  remains  of  Scott.  This  was  sixty  long  miles 
from  the  place  where  they  had  abandoned  him ;  and  it  appeared  that  the  wretched  man  had 
crawled  that  immense  distance  before  death  had  put  an  end  to  his  miseries.  The  wild  and  pic- 
turesque bluffs  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  lonely  grave  have  ever  since  borne  his  name." 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  151 

predated  their  friendliness,  but  he  leaves  upon  record  the 
fact  that  they  were  great  thieves,  as  they  managed  to  steal, 
while  in  his  camp,  articles  from  the  pockets  of  his  men  and 
even  the  buttons  from  their  coats.  Fortunately  the  Crow 
warriors  departed  early  the  next  morning. 

On  May  26th  the  trappers  encamped  at  Laramie's  Fork. 
This  was  two  years  before  the  trading  post  was  established 
at  that  point.  From  that  place  on  west  the  Captain  had 
great  difficulty  with  his  wagons.  Ravines  had  to  be  filled  up 
and  in  many  places  a  road  made  before  the  cavalcade  could 
pass  on.  On  the  12th  of  July  the  party  left  the  banks  of  the 
North  Platte  and  three  days  later  reached  the  Sweetwater. 
Up  this  stream  they  now  shaped  their  course  with  more  or 
less  difficulty.  The  men  complained  of  sore  mouths,  chapped 
lips,  violent  headaches  and  in  some  cases  severe  colic.  To 
add  to  the  difficulty,  the  woodwork  of  the  wagons  shrunk  so 
that  the  tires  and  spokes  became  loose  and  the  wagons  al- 
most refused  to  stand  up.  At  this  point  they  came  ui)on 
immense  herds  of  buffaloes,  of  which  the  hunters  connected 
with  the  expedition  secured  large  numbers.  Here  happened 
an  amusing  incident,  which  is  admirably  told  in  Washington 
Irving's  "Adventures  of  Captain  Bonneville." 

"Among  the  motley  retainers  of  the  camp  was  Tom 
Cain,  a  raw  Irishman,  who  officiated  as  cook,  whose  various 
blunders  and  expedients  in  his  novel  situation,  and  in  the 
wild  scenes  and  wild  life  into  which  he  had  been  suddenly 
thrown,  had  made  him  a  kind  of  a  butt  or  droll  of  the  camp. 
Tom,  however,  began  to  discover  an  ambition  superior  to  his 
station,  and  the  conversation  of  the  hunters  and  their  sto- 
ries of  their  exploits  inspired  him  with  a  desire  to  elevate 
himself  to  the  dignity  of  their  order.  The  buffalo  in  such 
droves  presented  a  tempting  opportunity  for  making  his 
first  essay.  He  rode,  in  the  line  of  march,  all  prepared  for 
action;  his  powder  flask  and  shot  pouch  knowingly  slung  at 
the  pommel  of  his  saddle,  to  be  at  hand;  his  rifle  balanced 
on  his  shoulder.  While  in  this  plight  a  troop  of  buffalo 
came  trotting  by  in  great  alarm.  In  an  instant  Tom  sprang 
from  his  horse  and  gave  chase  on  foot.  Finding  they  were 
leaving  him  behind,  he  leveled  his  rifle  and  pulled  the  trig- 
ger. His  shot  produced  no  other  effect  than  to  increase  the 
speed  of  the  buffalo  and  to  frighten  his  own  horse,  who  toob 


152  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  his  heels  and  scampered  off  with  all  the  ammunition.  Tom 
scampered  after  him,  hallooing  with  might  and  main,  and 
the  wild  horse  and  wild  Irishman  soon  disappeared  among 
the  ravines  of  the  prairie.  Captain  Bonneville,  who  was  at 
the  head  of  the  line  and  had  seen  the  transaction  at  a  dis- 
tance, detached  a  party  in  search  of  Tom.  After  a  long 
interval  they  returned,  leading  the  frightened  horse;  but 
though  they  scoured  the  country  and  looked  out  and  shouted 
from  every  height,  they  had  seen  nothing  of  his  rider.  As 
Captain  Bonneville  knew  Tom's  utter  awkwardness  and  in- 
experience, and  the  dangers  of  a  bewildered  Irishman  in 
the  midst  of  a  prairie,  he  halted  and  encamped  at  an  early 
hour,  that  there  might  be  a  regular  hunt  for  him  in  the  morn- 
ing. At  early  dawn  on  the  following  day  scouts  were  sent 
off  in  every  direction,  while  the  main  body,  after  breakfast, 
proceeded  slowly  on  its  course.  It  was  not  until  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  that  the  hunters  returned,  with  honest 
Tom  mounted  behind  one  of  them.  They  had  found  him  in 
a  complete  state  of  perplexity  and  amazement.  His  appear- 
ance caused  shouts  of  merriment  in  the  camp;  but  Tom  for 
once  could  not  join  in  the  mirth  raised  at  his  expense;  he 
was  completely  chapfallen,  and  apparently  cured  of  the 
hunting  mania  for  the  rest  of  his  life." 

On  the  20th  of  July  they  came  in  sight  of  the  Wind 
River  range,  and  to  the  Captain  this  mountain  was  an  in- 
spiration, for  soon  he  would  reach  the  goal  of  his  ambition, 
the  trapping  country  in  which  he  intended  to  operate.  The 
rugged  peaks  stood  out  bold  and  gloomy  in  their  awful 
grandeur.  The  veteran  hunters  and  trappers  of  the  part;^ 
told  many  a  story  of  adventure  among  the  savage  tribes 
which  haunted  the  dark  recesses  of  this  grand  old  mountain. 
Four  days  later  the  caravan  left  the  banks  of  the  Sweet- 
water, taking  a  westerly  course,  and  passed  over  a  rocky 
ridge  and  after  several  hours'  travel  reached  a  small  river 
running  south.  Here  they  encamped,  discovering  that  there 
were  fish  in  the  stream.  A  shout  of  joy  went  up,  as  they 
had  been  told  that  the  streams  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
continental  divide  contained  fish,  while  those  on  the  easterly 
side  were  barren  of  this  great  luxury.  Fish-hooks  and  lines 
were  procured  and  a  dozen  of  the  men  soon  caught  trout  for 
a  dinner  for  the  party.    Captain  Bonneville  felt  great  exul- 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  153 

tation  that  he  had  been  able  to  take  the  first  wagon  train 
over  the  crest  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Feed  was  fairly 
good  at  this  point  and  the  Captain  would  have  gladly  given 
his  stock  a  rest,  but  he  was  anxious  to  reach  the  banks  of 
Green  River,  and  so  the  next  morning  he  pushed  on.  On  the 
26th  he  was  overtaken  by  sixty  mounted  trappers  belonging 
to  the  American  Fur  Company  with  Mr.  Fontenelle  in 
charge.  After  pleasant  greetings  the  newcomers  took  the 
lead,  hoping,  as  Mr,  Fontenelle  said,  to  reach  Green  River  by 
night,  but  he  told  the  Captain  that  he  would  not  be  able  to 
get  through  with  his  wagons  before  the  day  following.  Cap- 
tain Bonneville  made  all  the  haste  that  circumstances  and 
the  jaded  condition  of  his  horses  would  permit  and  arrived 
at  Green  River  the  following  day  at  noon.  Here  the  animals 
were  turned  out  to  graze  and  rest,  as  they  were  in  a  lameta- 
ble  condition.  As  he  was  obliged  to  remain  for  some  time  in 
that  locality  to  recruit  the  strength  of  both  his  men  and 
animals,  he  proceeded  to  fortify  his  camp  by  the  erection  of 
log  breastworks,  a  precaution  that  proved  his  military  train- 
ing. The  Green  River  country  at  that  time  was  infested  with" 
roving  bands  of  Blackfeet  Indians,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
use  great  caution  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  party.  Captain 
Bonneville,  being  an  educated  soldier,  was  very  careful  not 
only  in  camp  but  while  on  the  march  to  prevent  a  surprise. 
He  likewise  used  great  diplomacy,  thus  avoiding  trouble 
with  the  Indians. 

Captain  Bonneville,  during  his  stay  in  his  fortified  camp 
at  Green  River,  undertook  the  study  of  the  practical  part  of 
trading  and  trapping.  He  realized  that  there  was  much  to 
learn  about  the  business,  and  so  he  applied  himself  to  the 
task  of  gathering  up  all  the  details.  He  had  not  been  many 
days  in  his  camp  before  Fontenelle  taught  him  some  of  the 
strategy  of  a  trader.  He  had  procured  at  the  Osage  mission 
a  number  of  Delaware  Indians,  most  excellent  hunters,  who 
he  thought  would  be  of  great  service  to  him.  These  the 
rival  leader  had  won  over  to  his  service  by  the  promise  of 
increased  pay.  The  captain  was  astonished  at  this  breach  of 
courtesy  and  he  resolved  to  retaliate  on  the  first  opportuni- 


154  History  of  Wyoming. 

tj,  and  learning  that  Fontenelle  intended  to  remain  in  his 
present  camp  until  the  arrival  of  a  certain  band  of  free  trap- 
pers who  were  to  meet  him  there,  he  sent  out  two  scouts  to 
bring  these  to  his  own  camp,  and  they  in  due  time  arrived. 
Captain  Bonneville  exerted  himself  to  entertain  them.  A 
keg  of  fresh  liquor  was  brought  out  and  the  health  of  every- 
body was  pledged  in  many  a  royal  round.  Then  the  trappers 
were  invited  to  a  feast  which  was  washed  down  by  again 
tapping  the  keg.  By  this  time  the  guests  were  in  a  condition 
to  relate  stories  of  successful  trapping  as  well  as  wonderful 
feats  of  daring  in  connection  with  Indian  fights.  These  he- 
roes of  the  wilderness  voted  their  entertainer  a  royal  good 
iellow  and  were  completely  won  to  his  service — that  is,  as 
many  as  he  cared  to  engage.  During  their  stay  in  the  camp 
they  were  a  center  of  attraction,  yet  these  were  a  part  and 
parcel  of  the  great  fur  trade  as  it  was  then  carried  on  in  this 
locality.  Captain  Bonneville  has  left  a  capital  description 
of  these  worthies  and  of  the  manner  in  which  they  entered 
his  camp.  He  calls  them  rangers  of  the  wilderness.  They 
came  dashing  forward,  he  says,  at  full  speed,  firing  their 
fusees  and  yelling  in  Indian  style.  Their  dark,  sunburned 
faces  and  long,  flowing  hair,  their  leggings,  flags,  mocca- 
sins and  richly  dyed  blankets,  and  their  painted  horses 
gaudily  caparisoned,  gave  them  so  much  the  air  and  appear- 
ance of  Indians  that  it 'was  difficult  to  persuade  oneself  that 
they  were  white  men  and  had  been  brought  up  in  civilized 
life.  The  free  trapper  deserves  more  than  a  mere  mention, 
and  I  therefore  insert  Captain  Bonneville's  description.* 
They  come  and  go,  says  he,  when  and  where  they  please; 
provide  their  own  horses,  arms  and  other  equipments;  trap 

*I  desire  to  here  remark  that  I  have  in  some  instances  used  Washington  Irving's  account 
of  Captain  Bonneville's  hunting  experience,  but  only  such  portions  as  relate  to  the  mountains, 
plains  and  streams  of  Wyoming.  Mr.  Irving  tells  us  the  adventures  of  Bonneville  are  substan- 
tially the  narrative  of  the  worthy  Captain  and  that  many  pages  are  but  little  varied  from  his  own 
language.  The  work  was  originally  prepared  by  Captain  Bonneville  for  publication,  but  becom- 
ing disgusted  with  his  task  he  turned  the  manuscript  over  to  Mr.  Irving,  who  interwove  in  it  the 
stories  of  other  trappers  and  thus  was  enabled  to  bring  out  a  volume  of  more  than  usual  interest 
which  has  been  a  popular  book  for  all  classes  for  more  than  fifty  years.  Bonneville  was  one  of 
those  interesting  characters  almost  from  his  birth,  and  I  have  often  regretted  that  Washington 
Irving's  book  did  not  contain  the  early  history  of  this  remarkable  hero.  This,  I  am  glad  to  say, 
I  have  been  able  to  gather  from  reliable  sources,  and  the  subsequent  history  of  Irving's  hero, 
down  to  the  close  of  his  life.  My  friend,  Hon.  M.  P.  Langford,  was  kind  enough  to  contribute 
the  portrait  of  Captain  Bonneville  which  is  given  in  this  volume,  and  thus  I  am  enabled  to  give 
for  the  first  time  the  complete  story  of  the  man  whose  life  and  adventures  will  always  form  a  part 
of  the  history  of  Wyoming. 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  155 

and  trade  on  their  own  account,  and  dispose  of  their  skins 
and  peltries  to  the  highest  bidder.  Sometimes,  in  a  dan- 
gerous hunting  ground,  they  attach  themselves  to  the  camp 
of  some  trader  for  protection.  Here  they  come  under  some 
restrictions;  tTiey  have  to  conform  to  the  ordinary  rules  for 
trapping  and  to  submit  to  such  restraints  and  to  take  part  in 
such  general  duties  as  are  established  for  the  good  order  and 
safety  of  the  camp.  In  return  for  this  protection,  and  for 
their  camp  keeping,  they  are  bound  to  dispose  of  all  the 
beaver  they  take  to  the  trader  who  commands  the  camp,  at 
a  certain  rate  per  skin;  or  should  they  prefer  seeking  a  mar- 
ket elsewhere,  they  are  to  make  him  an  allowance  of  from 
thirty  to  forty  dollars  for  the  whole  hunt. 

The  wandering  whites  who  mingle  for  any  length  of 
time  with  the  savages  have  invariably  a  proneness  to  adopt 
savage  habitudes ;  but  none  more  so  than  the  free  trappers. 
It  is  a  matter  of  vanity  and  ambition  with  them  to  discard 
everything  that  may  bear  the  stamp  of  civilized  life,  and  to 
adopt  the  manners,  dress,  habits,  gesture  and  even  walk  of 
the  Indian.  You  cannot  pay  a  free  trapper  a  greater  compli- 
ment than  to  persuade  him  you  have  mistaken  him  for  an 
Indian  brave;  and  in  truth  the  counterfeit  is  complete.  His 
hair,  suffered  to  attain  a  great  length,  is  carefully  combed 
out,  and  either  left  to  fall  carelessly  over  his  shoulders,  or 
plaited  neatly  and  tied  up  in  otter  skins  of  parti-colored 
ribbons.  A  hunting-shirt  of  ruffled  calico  of  bright  dyes, 
or  of  ornamented  leather,  falls  to  his  knees,  below  which 
curiously  fashioned  leggings,  ornamented  with  strings, 
fringes  and  a  profusion  of  hawks'  bells,  reach  to  a  costly  pair 
of  moccasins  of  the  finest  Indian  fabric,  richly  embroidered 
with  beads.  A  blanket  of  scarlet  or  some  other  bright  color 
hangs  from  his  shoulders,  and  is  girt  round  his  waist  with 
a  red  sash,  in  which  he  bestows  his  pistols,  knife,  and  the 
stem  of  his  Indian  pipe;  preparations  either  for  peace  op 
war.  His  gun  is  lavishly  decorated  with  brass  tacks  and  ver- 
milJion,  and  provided  with  a  fringed  cover,  occasionally  of 
buckskin,  ornamented  with  a  feather.  His  horse,  the  noble 
minister  to  the  pride,  pleasure  and  profit  of  the  mountaineer, 


156  History  of  Wyoming. 

is  selected  for  his  speed  and  spirit  and  prancing  gait,  and 
holds  a  place  in  his  estimation  second  only  to  himself.  He 
shares  largely  of  his  bounty,  and  of  his  pride  and  pomp  of 
trapping.  He  is  caparisoned  in  the  most  dashing  and  fan- 
tastic style;  the  bridles  and  crupper  are  weightily  embossed 
with  beads  and  cockades;  and  head,  mane  and  tail  are  inter« 
woven  with  abundance  of  eagles'  plumes  which  flutter  in  the 
wind.  To  complete  this  grotesque  eqipment,  the  proud  ani- 
mal is  bestreaked  and  bespotted  with  vermilion,  or  with 
white  clay,  whichever  presents  the  most  glaring  contrast  to 
his  real  color. 

While  the  two  camps  were  occupying  positions  near 
each  other  on  Green  River,  there  arrived  a  large  band  of 
Blackfeet  warriors  at  the  camp  of  Fontenelle.  These  war- 
riors had  just  suffered  defeat  in  Pierre's  Hole  in  an  engage- 
ment with  the  bands  of  trappers  under  William  Sublette 
and  his  brother  Milton,  Robert  Campbell  and  Nathaniel  J. 
Wyeth,  which  has  been  told  in  a  previous  chapter.  Fonte- 
nelle did  not  know  of  the  fight,  and  it  was  fortunate  that 
his  camp  was  a  strong  one.  The  Blackfeet  had  evidently 
intended  to  attack  him,  but  on  approaching  they  discovered 
that  his  position  was  a  strong  one  and  so  a  talk  took  place. 
Fontenelle  treated  them  kindly,  though  his  long  experience 
with  Blackfeet  had  convinced  him  of  their  dangerous  char- 
acter. On  the  first  opportunity  he  informed  them  of  the 
presence  of  Captain  Bonneville's  band  in  the  neighborhood, 
at  the  same  time  assuring  them  that  the  Captain  was  a  great 
war  chief  and  that  his  followers  were  brave  and  well-armed 
warriors.  At  the  request  of  the  Indians,  Fontenelle  sent 
one  of  his  Delaware  Indians  to  conduct  fifteen  of  them  to 
Fort  Bonneville.  On  arriving  there,  the  Captain  entertained 
them  in  a  friendly  manner.  There  were  two  Crow  visitors 
in  the  camp  at  the  time  and  as  they  were  the  implacable  ene- 
mies of  the  Blackfeet  they  looked  with  horror  as  well  as 
surprise  on  the  friendly  reception  given  the  dangerous  war 
party.  They  took  the  first  occasion  possible  to  inform  Cap- 
tain Bonneville  that  the  Blackfeet  were  bad  Indians;  that 
the  best  thing  he  could  do  was  to  put  them  to  death  on  the 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  157 

spot.  The  soldier  trapper  saw  no  reason  for  extreme  uneasi- 
ness and  they  were  therefore  allowed  to  remain  in  the  camp 
some  little  time.  They  were  evidently  satisfied  that  it  would 
be  useless  for  them  to  attack  a  fortified  position  the  defense 
of  which  was  provided  for  in  true  military  style.  They  went 
back  to  their  warriors  and  must  have  reported  that  the  trap- 
pers were  dangerous  enemies  to  attack,  as  they  left  the 
country  and  nothing  more  was  heard  of  them. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


BONNEVILLE  SENDS  OUT  HIS  TRAPPERS. 

Various  Detachments  in  the  Field — Main  Party  Pass  Through 
Jackson's  Hole  and  Pierre's  Hole  on  the  Way  to  Solomon 
River — Meets  the  Nez  Perces — His  Opinion  of  this  Tribe— Ex- 
periences During  the  Winter — Rendezvous  on  Green  River 
IN  1833 — Stories  of  His  Several  Leaders — Scenes  at  the  Ren- 
dezvous— A  Digression  by  the  Author,  in  Which  He  Tells  of 
the  Relations  Between  Captain  Bonneville  and  Washington 
Irving — Valuable  Services  Rendered  the  Government. 

Captain  Bonneville  learned  from  the  free  trappers  many 
important  things  regarding  the  methods  and  the  proper  sea- 
son  to  visit  certain  localities.  He  was  informed  that  the 
Green  River  Valley  was  undesirable  as  a  winter  camp,  as 
snow  to  the  depth  of  several  feet  sometimes  fell  there  and 
that  winter  came  on  very  early.  He  therefore  decided  to 
cache  his  goods  and  supplies,  also  his  wagons.  This  he  ac- 
complished by  the  aid  of  a  few  confidential  men.  The  bal- 
ance of  his  goods  were  placed  in  packs  ready  to  be  loaded 
on  pack  animals,  and  on  the  21st  of  August  his  party  headed 
for  the  upper  waters  of  Solomon  River,  intending  to  trap  on 
the  way.  His  broken-down  horses  were  given  in  charge  of 
a  reliable  trapper  named  Matthieu.  He  was  to  take  with 
him  a  brigade  of  trappers  and  to  proceed  west  to  Bear 
River,  where  there  was  good  feed  for  the  horses  and  oppor- 


158  History  of  Wyoming. 

tunities  to  secure  beaver.  It  was  expected  he  would  meet 
a  village  of  Shoshones  on  the  way,  and  with  them  he  was  to 
trade  for  a  time  while  his  party  was  engaged  with  their 
traps  and  the  horses  were  renewing  their  strength  on  the 
rich  grasses  that  abound  on  Bear  River,  after  which  he 
was  to  join  the  Captain  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Solomon, 
where  Bonneville  intended  to  make  his  winter  camp.  The 
Captain's  own  command  proceeded  up  the  Green  River  Val- 
ley to  near  its  headwaters.  He  crossed  over  into  Pierre's 
Hole  and  came  upon  the  battlefield  where  William  Sub- 
lette and  his  friends  had  had  the  sanguinary  encounter  with 
the  Blackfeet.  They  also  passed  on  their  way  through  the 
dark  defile  leading  to  Jackson's  Hole,  where  More  and  Foy 
had  been  killed  by  the  Blackfeet  on  the  23rd  of  July.  Their 
remains  were  found  among  the  rocks  and  the  Bonneville 
party  decently  interred  them.  Arriving  in  Pierre's  Hole,  a 
camp  was  made  on  the  celebrated  battleground  near  the 
abandoned  fortress  of  the  Blackfeet. 

The  next  two  weeks  were  occupied  in  the  march  from 
Pierre's  Hole  to  the  upper  waters  of  the  Solomon  River,  and 
on  the  20th  of  September  they  met  a  large  body  of  Nez  Per- 
ces  Indians.  Captain  Bonneville  says  that  the  savages  sent 
forward  a  single  warrior,  who  made  signals  of  peace  and 
offers  of  friendship.  The  Captain,  knowing  that  this  tribe 
was  friendly  to  white  people,  halted  and  went  into  camp  and 
invited  the  savages  to  visit  him.  The  warriors  lingered  long 
enough  to  put  on  their  war  paint  and  plumes.  They  placed 
themselves  in  martial  array  under  their  chiefs,  and  ad- 
vanced shouting,  singing,  firing  off  their  fusees  and  clash- 
ing their  shields.  The  Bonneville  party  at  this  time  were? 
sadly  in  need  of  provisions,  and  it  turned  out  that  the  Indi- 
ans were  nearly  so,  having  only  a  small  supply  of  dried  sal- 
mon; this  they  offered  to  share  with  the  white  men.  The 
Indians  were  on  a  hunting  expedition  and  they  expected  to 
be  able  to  secure  a  large  amount  of  buffalo  meat.  Captain 
Bonneville  sent  with  the  party  Mr.  Cerre,  accompanied  by  a 
few  men  with  instructions  to  trade  with  the  Indians  for  a 
winter's  supply   of  meat.     After  the  hunting  party  had 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  159 

passed,  Captain  Bonneville  steered  his  course  down  the 
river  a  few  miles  and  camping  on  the  bank  proceeded  to 
erect  winter  quarters.  Here  he  found  abundance  of  feed 
for  his  horses  and  all  the  necessary  surroundings  for  the 
construction  of  his  winter  cantonment.  Temporary  forti- 
fications were  constructed  and  huts  for  the  use  of  men  and 
merchandise,  and  an  inclosure  was  also  built  in  which  the 
horses  could  be  driven  at  night.  This  done,  three  brigades 
were  organized  and  sent  off  in  different  directions  to  hunt 
and  trap,  with  orders  to  subsist  themselves  by  hunting  the 
buffalo.  Twenty  men  remained  with  Captain  Bonneville 
at  the  winter  quarters  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  supply 
the  camp  with  wild  meat,  but  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the 
Indians  had  driven  the  game  from  that  section  and  the 
hunters  found  themselve  unable  to  supply  sufficient  food  for 
the  party  and  starvation  stared  them  in  the  face.  On  the 
8th  of  October  five  families  of  Nez  Perces  arrived  and  these 
visitors  were  in  even  a  worse  condition  than  themselves, 
and  while  they  could  not  relieve  the  wants  of  the  white  men 
they  taught  them  the  edible  qualities  of  certain  roots  and 
rosebuds,  which  for  the  time  being  kept  off  starvation.  Af- 
ter this  Captain  Bonneville  dispatched  a  party  to  Horse 
Prairie,  some  distance  north  of  his  winter  quarters,  to  pro- 
cure a  supply  of  buffalo  meat,  and  he  invited  some  of  the 
Nez  Perces  to  accompany  his  men,  but  this  was  declined, 
the  excuse  being  given  that  it  was  a  sacred  day  with  them, 
and  if  they  devoted  it  to  hunting  the  great  spirit  would  be 
angry.  From  this  on  he  employed  much  time  in  studying  the 
character  of  this  tribe  of  Indians.  He  found  them  possessed 
of  moral  and  religious  qualities  which  in  spite  of  their  sav- 
age state  and  forlorn  condition  stamped  them  as  superior 
to  any  tribe  of  Indians  he  met  with  while  on  his  expedition. 
From  his  narrative  it  would  seem  that  he  explained  to  these 
people  the  Christian  faith. 

"Many  a  time,"  says  he,  "was  my  little  lodge  thronged 
or  rather  piled,  with  hearers,  for  they  lay  on  the  ground,  one 
leaning  over  the  other,  until  there  was  no  further  room,  all 
listening  with  greedy  ears  to  the  wonders  which  the  Great 


j6o  History  of  Wyoming. 

Spirit  had  revealed  to  the  white  man.  No  other  subject  gave 
them  half  the  satisfaction,  or  commanded  half  the  attention, 
and  but  few  scenes  in  my  life  remain  so  freshly  on  my  mem- 
ory, or  are  so  pleasurably  recalled  to  my  contemplation,  as 
these  hours  of  intercourse  with  a  distant  and  benighted  race 
in  the  midst  of  the  desert." 

The  Captain  calls  these  Indians  exemplary  people  and 
says  the  only  excesses  they  were  guilty  of  were  gambling  and 
horse  racing.  In  this  respect  they  are  no  worse  than  white 
men,  and  I  cannot  close  this  part  of  the  story  without  mak- 
ing another  quotation  regarding  what  Captain  Bonneville 
has  to  say  about  the  gambling  propensities  of  these  Indians: 

"Knots  of  gamblers  will  assemble  before  one  of  their 
lodge  fires,  early  in  the  evening,  and  remain  absorbed  in 
the  chances  and  changes  of  the  game  until  long  after  dawn 
of  the  following  day.  As  night  advances,  they  wax  warmer 
and  warmer.  Bets  increase  in  amount ;  one  loss  only  serves 
to  lead  to  a  greater,  until  in  the  course  of  a  single  night's 
gambling  the  richest  chief  may  become  the  poorest  varlet 
in  camp." 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  follow  Captain  Bonneville  in  de- 
tail beyond  the  borders  of  our  state.  One  of  the  parties  sent 
out  came  in  contact  with  the  Blackfeet.  This  party  was 
under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Walker,  and  at  the  time  the  Indi- 
ans came  up  the  guard  stationed  over  the  camp  had  become 
interested  in  a  game  of  cards  and  in  the  midst  of  the  fas- 
cinating pastime  the  Blackfeet  stole  upon  them  unperceived, 
and  springing  upon  the  backs  of  the  horses  of  the  party 
would  have  carried  them  off  had  it  not  been  for  the  stub- 
bornness of  several  mules  which  were  in  among  the  horses. 
These  when  the  Indians  had  mounted  them  bareback  and 
commenced  yelling  and  discharging  their  firearms,  became 
so  confused  that  they  imitated  the  bucking  bronco  and 
threw  their  riders  to  the  ground.  Those  who  had  mounted 
the  horses  came  to  the  rescue  of  their  dismounted  brethren 
in  the  face  of  a  perfect  fusillade  from  the  camp.  The  Indi- 
ans were  glad  to  steal  away  without  taking  any  of  the  ani- 
mals, seeking  shelter  in  a  thicket,  from  which  position  they 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  i6i 

sent  forth  a  shower  of  arrows  and  bullets,  thus  preventing 
Mr.  Walker's  men  from  following  them.  The  party  of  hunt- 
ers sent  out,  after  six  weeks'  absence  returned  in  safety  with 
plenty  of  meat  for  the  winter.  The  Captain  appears  to  have 
enjoyed  this  winter  encampment  and  a  hunter's  life  and  the 
society  of  the  Nez  Perces,  Flatheads  and  Hanging-Ears 
tribes.  During  the  winter  he  conceived  the  idea  of  acting  as 
a  peace  commissioner  between  the  Nez  Perces  and  Flatheads 
and  Blackfeet,  as  he  thought  by  such  peace  he  would  be 
placed  upon  a  better  business  basis  with  the  Blackfeet  tribe. 
He  submitted  the  proposition  to  the  chief  of  the  Nez  Perces 
and  Flatheads  and  these  wise  warriors  took  the  matter  un- 
der consideration  and  held  a  council  for  two  days,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  they  reported  to  Captain  Bonneville  the 
result  of  their  deliberations.  One  of  the  chiefs  rendered  the 
decision  thus:  "War,"  said  he,  "is  a  bloody  business  and 
full  of  evil ;  but  it  keeps  the  eyes  of  the  chiefs  always  open, 
and  makes  the  limbs  of  the  young  men  strong  and  supple. 
In  war  everyone  is  on  the  alert.  If  we  see  a  trail  we  know  it 
must  be  an  enemy;  if  the  Blackfeet  come  to  us,  we  know  it 
is  for  war,  and  we  are  ready.  Peace,  on  the  other  hand, 
sounds  no  alarm ;  the  eyes  of  the  chiefs  are  closed  in  sleep, 
and  the  young  men  are  sleek  and  lazy.  The  horses  stray  into 
the  mountains;  the  women  and  their  little  babes  go  about 
alone.  But  the  heart  of  a  Blackfoot  is  a  lie,  and  his  tongue 
is  a  trap.  If  he  says  peace,  it  is  to  deceive.  He  comes  to  us 
as  a  brother ;  he  smokes  his  pipe  with  us ;  but  when  he  sees 
us  weak  and  off  our  guard,  he  will  slay  and  steal.  We  will 
have  no  such  peace;  let  there  be  war." 

This  ended  the  Captain's  attempt  to  play  the  role  of  a 
peacemaker,  but  he  was  afterwards  much  vexed  with  these 
same  Indians  for  allowing  the  Blackfeet  to  steal  their  horses 
with  impunity,  and  he  finally  told  them  that  unless  they 
roused  themselves  from  their  apathy  and  properly  resented 
the  intrusion  of  the  Blackfeet  in  their  camp  they  would 
not  be  worthy  to  be  considered  warriors,  and  he  further  told 
them  that  his  property  was  unsafe  while  he  remained  with 
them,  for  the  reason  that  the  Blackfeet  having  got  away 
-(II) 


1 62  History  of  Wyoming. 

with  the  horses  of  his  Indian  associates,  his  turn  would  prob- 
ably come  next.  He  assured  them  unless  they  should  speed- 
ily do  something  to  put  an  end  to  the  continual  plundering 
of  their  camp  by  the  Blackfeet  he  would  be  obliged  to  leave 
them.  Spurred  up  by  this  severe  language,  the  Indians  or- 
ganized a  war  party  and  went  out  in  search  of  their  enemies. 
The  next  day  the  warriors  returned  without  having  encoun- 
tered the  Blackfeet  marauders  and  then  things  went  on  as 
bad  as  before. 

On  the  19th  of  December  Captain  Bonneville  changed 
his  camp  to  a  good  hunting  ground  up  the  North  Fork  of 
the  Solomon.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  Indian  friends. 
The  balance  of  the  winter  was  spent  in  hunting  the  large 
game  of  the  neighborhood.  Becoming  uneasy  as  to  the  fate 
of  Matthieu,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  been  placed 
in  charge  of  the  broken-down  stock  on  the  Captain's  depart- 
ure from  his  fortified  camp  on  Green  River,  he  placed  him- 
self at  the  head  of  thirteen  resolute  hunters  and  started  out 
in  search  of  the  lost  party,  and  after  much  suffering  he  at 
last  succeeded  in  finding  the  men  he  was  in  search  of.  The 
Matthieu  party  had  encountered  deep  snows  and  bands  of 
hostile  Indians,  and  three  of  his  men,  Leroy,  Ross  and  Jen- 
nings, had  been  killed.  The  party  had  been  so  severely  han- 
dled by  coming  in  contact  with  the  savages  that  they  gave 
up  hunting  trips  and  remained  in  their  camp,  now  and  then 
killing  an  old  or  disabled  horse  for  food.  About  the  middle 
of  March,  Captain  Bonneville,  having  been  joined  by  all  his 
detached  parties,  commenced  making  preparations  to  open 
the  spring  campaign,  and  selected  Malade  River  as  the 
neighborhood  in  which  to  begin  operations.  During  the 
summer  he  penetrated  the  western  country  beyond  what  is 
now  Wyoming,  but  had  fixed  a  rendezvous  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  Green  River  Valley  for  the  latter  part  of  July;  but 
when  about  to  return  to  that  country  the  free  trappers  de- 
clined to  make  the  weary  journey.  They  pointed  out  to 
Captain  Bonneville  that  the  distance  was  great  and  that 
danger  lurked  on  every  side,  as  the  Blackfeet  were  known  to 
be  in  great  strength  in  the  country  through  which  it  was 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  163 

proposed  to  go.  Their  business,  they  said,  was  hunting, 
and  they  did  not  propose  to  fight  Indians  unless  they  were 
obliged  to  .  They  preferred  to  trap  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Solomon.  Captain  Bonneville  found  it  necessary  to  accede 
to  their  wishes,  and  he  accordingly  fitted  them  out  for  the 
season  and  placed  Hodgkiss  at  their  head  with  instructions 
where  the  party  was  to  meet  him  the  ensuing  winter.  The 
brigade  consisted  of  twenty-one  free  trappers,  Mr.  Hodgkiss 
and  five  hired  men  who  went  along  as  camp  keepers.  Cap- 
tain Bonneville  with  the  balance  of  his  men  started  for  the 
Green  River  rendezvous.  Great  precautions  were  taken  to 
prevent  a  surprise.  Scouting  parties  were  thrown  out  in 
advance  and  encampments  were  selected  with  care,  with  a 
view  to  strength  of  position.  The  march  was  conducted  in 
military  style,  everything  being  done  to  insure  the  safety  of 
the  party.  On  the  13th  of  July  Captain  Bonneville  reached 
Green  River  and  went  up  that  stream,  where  he  was  met 
by  the  different  parties  he  had  detached  the  previous  year. 
Each  had  a  story  of  success  or  failure  to  tell.  The  party 
which  had  been  sent  into  the  Crow  country  and  the  tribu- 
tary streams  of  the  Yellowstone  had  suffered  total  annihila- 
tion and  the  leader  alone  came  into  the  rendezvous.  His 
story  was  soon  told.  He  had  fallen  in  with  a  band  of  Crows. 
These  had  induced  most  of  his  men  to  desert.  With  the 
balance  of  his  band,  he  sought  the  neighborhood  of  Tullock's 
Fort  on  the  Yellowstone,  under  the  protection  of  which  he 
went  into  winter  quarters.  Here  the  temptation  of  whisky 
proved  too  much  for  the  trappers  and  his  stock  of  furs  was 
purloined  by  the  men  and  used  for  the  purchase  of  alcoholic 
drinks.  The  leader  finding  that  being  near  the  fort  was  even 
worse  than  being  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Crows,  resolved  to 
make  another  move  and  induced  a  number  of  strange  free 
trappers  to  join  him.  He,  with  these  and  the  balance  of  his 
own  men  who  had  remained  faithful,  started  in  the  spring 
for  the  Powder  River  country.  On  the  way  he  had  rugged 
hills  and  a  steep  mountain  to  cross.  This  so  jaded  his  horses 
that  they  soon  became  unfit  for  service  and  he  was  induced 


164  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  turn  them  out  to  graze  at  night.  What  happened  we  will 
let  Captain  Bonneville  tell  in  his  own  way. 

**The  place  was  lonely;  the  path  was  rugged;  there  was 
not  a  sign  of  an  Indian  in  the  neighborhood ;  not  a  blade  of 
grass  that  had  been  turned  by  a  footstep.  But  who  can  cal- 
culate on  security  in  the  midst  of  an  Indian  country,  where 
the  foe  lurks  in  silence  and  secrecy,  and  seems  to  come  and 
go  on  the  wings  of  the  wind?  The  horses  had  scarce  been 
turned  loose  when  a  couple  of  Arickara  (or  Rickaree)  war- 
riors entered  the  camp.  They  affected  a  frank  and  friendly 
demeanor;  but  their  movements  and  appearance  awakened 
the  suspicions  of  some  of  the  veteran  trappers,  well  versed 
in  Indian  wiles.  Convinced  that  they  were  spies  sent  on 
some  sinister  errand,  they  took  them  in  custody  and  took 
to  work  to  drive  in  the  horses.  It  was  too  late — the  horses 
were  already  gone.  In  fact,  a  war  party  of  Arickaras  had 
been  hovering  on  their  trail  for  several  days,  watching  with 
the  patience  and  perseverance  of  Indians  for  some  moment 
of  negligence  and  fancied  security  to  make  a  successful 
swoop.  The  two  spies  had  evidently  been  sent  into  camp  to 
create  a  diversion,  while  their  confederates  carried  off  the 
spoil. 

"The  unlucky  partisan  thus  robbed  of  his  horses,  turned 
furiously  on  his  prisoners,  ordered  them  to  be  bound  hand 
and  foot,  and  swore  to  put  them  to  death  unless  his  property 
was  restored.  The  robbers,  who  soon  found  that  their  spies 
were  in  captivity,  now  made  their  appearance  on  horseback 
and  held  a  parley.  The  sight  of  them  mounted  on  the  very 
horses  they  had  stolen  set  the  blood  of  the  mountaineers  in 
a  ferment;  but  it  was  useless  to  attack  them,  as  they  would 
have  but  to  turn  their  steeds  and  scamper  out  of  the  reach  of 
pedestrians.  A  negotiation  was  now  attempted.  The  Aric* 
karas  offered  what  they  considered  fair  terms :  to  barter  one 
horse  or  even  two  horses  for  a  prisoner.  The  mountaineers 
spurned  at  their  offer  and  declared  that,  unless  all  the 
horses  were  relinquished  the  prisoners  should  be  burned  to 
death.  To  give  force  to  their  threat,  a  pyre  of  logs  and 
fagots  was  heaped  up  and  kindled  into  a  blaze. 

"The  parley  continued.  The  Arickaras  released  one 
horse  and  then  another  in  earnest  of  their  proposition ;  find- 
ing, however,  that  nothing  short  of  the  relinquishment  of  all 
their  spoils  would  purchase  the  lives  of  the  captives,  they 
abandoned  them  to  their  fate,  moving  off  with  many  parting 
words  and  lametable  bowlings.  The  prisoners  seeing  them 
depart  and  knowing  the  horrible  fate  that  awaited  them, 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  165 

made  a  desperate  effort  to  escape.  They  partially  succeeded 
but  were  severely  wounded  and  retaken;  then  dragged  to 
the  blazing  pyre  and  burnt  to  death  in  the  sight  of  their 
retreating  comrades. 

"The  loss  of  his  horses  completed  the  ruin  of  the  un- 
lucky partisan.  It  was  out  of  his  power  to  prosecute  his 
hunting  or  to  maintain  his  party;  the  only  thought  now  was 
how  to  get  back  to  civilized  life.  At  the  first  water-course 
his  men  built  canoes  and  committed  themselves  to  the 
stream.  Some  engaged  themselves  at  various  trading  es- 
tablishments at  which  they  touched,  others  got  back  to  the 
settlements.  As  to  the  partisan,  he  found  an  opportunity 
to  make  his  way  to  the  rendezvous  at  Green  River  Valley." 

The  Green  River  Valley  that  year  was  the  rendezvous 
of  the  American  Fur  Company,  and  also  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Fur  Company,  as  well  as  that  of  Captain  Bonneville. 
Competition  had  been  carried  on  to  the  very  utmost  limits 
during  the  season  and  Captain  Bonneville  expected  that 
men  who  had  for  a  whole  season  been  trying  to  outdo  each 
other  would  certainly  hold  aloof  when  they  reached  the 
rendezvous;  but  imagine  his  surprise  when  he  saw  these 
men  mingle  in  each  other's  camps  on  the  most  friendly 
terms.  The  past  was  buried  and  everybody  seemed  bent 
upon  having  a  good  time.  It  was  the  trappers'  holiday  and 
they  were  determined  to  make  the  most  of  it,  and  seeing  the 
leaders  of  the  other  companies  disposed  to  enjoy  good  fel- 
lowship the  Captain  joined  in  the  interchange  of  visits. 
There  was  feasting  and  carousals  all  around  from  the  lead- 
ers down  to  the  humblest  employes  of  the  camp.  Here  the 
free  trapper  outshines  all  rivals  and  is  ready  at  all  times 
to  sing,  drink  or  dance.  Such  stories  of  adventures  and 
achievements  as  were  told  would  make  the  most  marvelous 
tales  of  fiction  stale  in  comparison.  The  rough  trappers 
would  amuse  themselves  making  violent  love  to  Shoshone 
beauties,  whose  tribe  was  encamped  hard  by.  Strings  of 
gay  beads,  papers  of  vermilion  and  bright  red  blankets  were 
at  a  premium,  as  these  articles  were  found  to  be  just  what 
was  needed  to  win  the  smiles  of  the  fair  ones.  It  would  take 
many  pages  to  tell  the  scenes  and  incidents  which  happened 
at  the  rendezvous  that  season;  but  I  must  confine  my  story 


1 66  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  the  history  of  Captain  Bonneville's  adventures  during 
his  three  years'  residence  in  the  west,  most  of  the  time  in 
the  territory  which  is  now  embraced  in  our  state. 

By  the  terms  of  his  leave  of  absence,  the  Captain  was 
required  to  investigate  the  condition  of  the  Indian  tribes 
of  the  mountains  and  make  a  full  report  to  the  war  depart- 
ment.* This  he  did.  Lewis  and  Clark  had  received  the  same 
instructions,  but  as  these  gentlemen  had  passed  rapidly 
through  the  country,  on  their  way  to  and  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  they  should  be 
able  to  supply  the  government  with  a  carefully  prepared 
report  of  the  condition  of  the  various  wild  tribes  occupying 
the  interior.  The  Captain  undertook  to  secure  this  informa- 
tion.  He  made  a  careful  study  of  all  the  tribes  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact,  and  his  report  made  on  his  return  is 
entitled  to  be  considered  not  only  reliable,  but  valuable. 
This  report  of  the  condition  of  the  Indians  of  this  part  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  their  methods  of  warfare,  their  nu- 
merical strength,  the  alliances  of  the  tribes,  was  the  first 
reliable  information  the  government  had  received  regarding 


•INSTRUCTIONS  TO  CAPTAIN  BONNEVILLE    FROM    THE    MAJOR-GENERAL 
COMMANDING  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Headquarters  of  the  Army,  I 

Washington,  August  3,  1831.  f 

Sir  :  The  leave  of  absence  which  you  have  asked,  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  you  to  carry 
into  execution  your  design  of  exploring  the  country  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  beyond,  with 
a.  view  of  ascertaining  the  nature  and  character  of  the  several  tribes  of  Indians  inhabiting  those 
regions  ;  the  trade  which  might  be  profitably  carried  on  with  them  ;  the  quality  of  the  soil,  the 
productions,  the  minerals,  the  natural  history,  the  climate,  the  geography  and  topography,  as 
well  as  geology,  of  the  various  parts  of  the  country  within  the  limits  of  the  territories  belonging  to 
the  United  States,  between  our  frontier  and  the  Pacific — has  been  duly  considered  and  submitted 
to  the  War  Department  for  approval,  and  has  been  sanctioned.  You  are,  therefore,  authorized 
to  be  absent  from  the  army  until  October,  1833.  It  is  understood  that  the  government  is  to  be  at 
no  expense  in  reference  to  your  proposed  expedition,  it  having  originated  with  yourself;  and  all 
that  you  required  was  the  permission  from  the  proper  authority  to  undertake  the  enterprise.  You 
will,  naturally,  in  preparing  yourself  for  the  expedition,  provide  suitable  instruments,  and  espe- 
cially the  best  maps  of  the  interior  to  be  found. 

It  is  desirable,  besides  what  is  enumerated  as  the  object  of  your  enterprise,  that  you  note 
particularly  the  number  of  warriors  that  may  be  in  each  tribe  or  nation  that  you  may  meet  with  ; 
their  alliances  with  other  tribes,  and  their  relative  position  as  to  a  state  of  peace  or  war,  and 
whether  their  friendly  or  warlike  dispositions  toward  each  other  are  recent  or  of  long  standing. 
You  will  gratify  us  by  describing  their  manner  of  making  war ;  of  the  mode  of  subsisting  them- 
selves during  a  state  of  war,  and  a  state  of  peace;  their  arms,  and  the  effect  of  them  ;  whether 
they  act  on  foot  or  on  horseback  ;  detailing  the  discipline  and  maneuvers  of  the  war  parties  ;  the 
power  of  their  horses,  size,  and  general  description ;  in  short,  every  information  which  you  may 
conceive  would  be  usefiil  to  the  government. 

You  will  avail  yourself  of  everj'  opportunity  of  informing  us  of  your  position  and  progress, 
and,  at  the  expiration  of  your  leave  of  absence,  will  join  your  proper  station. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  sir, 

Your  ob't  servant, 

Alexander  Macomb, 
Capt.  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  Major  General,  commanding  the  Army. 

7tk  Reg't  of  Infantry,  New  York. 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  167 

these  Indians,  Considering  that  Captain  Bonneville  was 
doing  this  work  without  pay  and  performing  other  im. 
portant  services,  such  as  mapping  the  country  and  showing 
the  location  of  different  tribes,  and  searching  for  desirable 
passes  through  the  mountains,  where  wagon  roads  might  be 
built,  the  War  Department  certainly  took  advantage  of  his 
good  nature  by  imposing  upon  him  a  task  which  was  richly 
worth  many  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  government. 

Captain  Bonneville's  place  in  history  is  that  of  an  ex- 
plorer  as  well  as  fur  trader.  While  in  this  country  he  bore 
credentials  signed  by  the  commander  of  the  army  proving 
his  high  and  honorable  position.  His  education  and  natural 
qualifications  enabled  him  to  discharge  faithfully  the  duties 
to  which  he  had  been  assigned.  Well  might  President  Jack- 
son say  to  him  that  he  had  performed  a  great  service  for 
his  country  and  deserved  promotion.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  a  considerable  portion  of  his  report,  especially  that  con- 
taining scientific  and  geological  information  and  valuable 
maps  was  not  published  by  the  government.  We  are  not 
obliged  to  search  far  to  find  a  reason  why  this  valuable  in- 
formation was  not  given  to  the  public.  This  soldier,  it  is 
generally  understood,  was  on  leave  of  absence  and  had 
overstayed  his  time,  and  for  this  reason  he  was  dropped 
from  the  rolls.  The  facts  are,  he  was  on  detached  service, 
performing  arduous  and  responsible  duties  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Under  such  circumstances,  the  haste  with  which  he 
was  dropped  from  the  rolls  of  the  army  reflects  but  little 
credit  on  those  concerned,  when  it  is  understood  that  he 
was  displaced  to  make  room  for  other  officers  anxious  for 
promotion.  His  reinstatement  by  the  President  regardless 
of  the  protest  of  Major  General  Macomb  and  other  officers, 
resulted  in  his  services  being  under-rated  in  official  quarters. 

Captain  Bonneville  felt  these  slights  put  upon  him 
and  resolved  to  set  himself  right  with  the  people,  and  there- 
fore enlarged  his  report  and  had  it  nearly  ready  for  the  print- 
er when  he  met  Washington  Irving  for  the  second  time 
and  turned  over  to  him  his  manuscript  for  publication.  It 
has  been  stated  by  some  newspaper  writer  within  the  last 


1 68  History  of  Wyoming. 

few  years  that  Mr.  Irving  on  receiving  this  manuscript 
made  a  trip  to  the  west  for  the  purpose  of  going  over  the 
ground  of  Bonneville's  exploits,  and  thus  it  was  that  he  waa 
enabled  to  produce  a  work  containing  so  much  reliable  in- 
formation concerning  the  Indians  and  the  country.  This 
story  is  not  only  not  true,  but  it  is  silly  in  the  extreme.  The 
incidents,  the  descriptions  and  in  fact  all  the  details  are 
from  the  pen  of  Captain  Bonneville.  By  reference  to  Ir- 
ving's  introductory  notice  in  his  volume,  "Captain  Bonne- 
ville," this  will  be  conclusively  proven.*  Mr.  Irving  did 
visit  the  west,  but  it  was  three  years  previous  to  his  meeting 
with  Captain  Bonneville.  He  had  been  made  a  member  of 
a  commission,  connected  with  government  service,  and  this 
took  him  to  a  number  of  posts  on  the  border,  but  it  must 

*It  was  in  the  autumn  of  1835,  at  the  country  seat  of  Mr.  John  Jacob  Astor,  at  Hell- 
gate,  that  I  first  met  with  Captain  Bonneville.  He  was  then  just  returned  from  a  residence 
of  upward  of  three  years  among  the  mountains,  and  was  on  his  way  to  report  himself  at 
headquarters,  in  the  hopes  of  being  reinstated  in  the  service.  From  all  that  I  could  learn, 
his  wanderings  in  the  wilderness,  though  they  had  gratified  his  curiosity  and  his  love  of 
adventure,  had  not  much  benefited  his  fortunes.  Like  Corporal  Trim  in  his  campaigns,  he 
had  "satisfied  the  sentiment,"  and  that  was  all.  In  fact,  he  was  too  much  of  the  frank,  free- 
hearted soldier,  and  had  inherited  too  much  of  his  father's  temperament,  to  make  a  schem- 
ing trapper  or  a  thrifty  bargainer.  There  was  something  in  the  whole  appearance  of  the 
Captain  that  prepossessed  me  in  his  favor.  He  was  of  the  middle  size,  well  made  and  well 
set;  and  a  military  frock  of  foreign  cut,  that  had  seen  service,  gave  him  a  look  of  compact- 
ness. His  countenance  was  frank,  open  and  engaging;  well  browned  by  the  sun,  and  had 
something  of  a  French  expression.  He  had  a  pleasant  black  eye,  a  high  forehead,  and, 
while  he  kept  his  hat  on,  the  look  of  a  man  in  the  jocund  prime  of  his  days;  but  the  mo- 
ment his  head  was  uncovered,  a  bald  crown  gained  him  credit  for  a  few  more  years  than  he 
was  really  entitled  to. 

Being  extremely  curious,  at  the  time,  about  everything  connected  with  the  Far  West, 
I  addressed  numerous  questions  to  him.  They  drew  from  him  a  number  of  extremely  strik- 
ing details,  which  were  given  with  mingled  modesty  and  frankness  ;  and  in  a  gentleness  of 
manner,  and  a  soft  tone  of  voice,  contrasting  singularly  with  the  wild  and  often  startling  na- 
ture of  his  themes.  It  was  difficult  to  conceive  the  mild,  quiet-looking  personage  before 
you,  the  actual  hero  of  the  stirring  scenes  related. 

In  the  course  of  three  or  four  months,  happening  to  be  at  the  city  of  Washington,  I 
again  came  upon  the  captain,  who  was  attending  the  slow  adjustment  of  his  affairs  with  the 
War  Department.  I  found  him  quartered  with  a  worthy  brother  in  arms,  a  major  in  the 
army.  Here  he  was  writicg  at  a  table,  covered  with  maps  and  papers,  in  the  center  of  a 
large  barrack  room,  fancifully  decorated  with  Indian  arms,  and  trophies,  and  war  dresses, 
and  the  skins  of  various  wild  animals,  and  hung  round  with  pictures  of  Indian  games  and 
ceremonies,  and  scenes  of  war  and  hunting.  In  a  word,  the  captain  was  beguiling  the  tedi- 
ousness  of  attendance  at  court  by  an  attempt  at  authorship,  and  was  rewriting  and  extend- 
ing his  traveling  notes,  and  making  maps  of  the  regions  he  had  explored.  As  he  sat  at  the 
table,  in  this  curious  apartment,  with  his  high  bald  head  of  somewhat  foreign  cast,  he  re- 
minded me  of  some  of  those  antique  pictures  of  authors  that  I  have  seen  in  old  Spanish 
volumes. 

The  result  of  his  labors  was  a  mass  of  manuscript,  which  he  subsequently  put  at  my 
disposal,  to  fit  it  for  publication  and  bring  it  before  the  world.  I  found  it  full  of  many  inter- 
esting details  of  life  among  the  mountains,  and  of  the  singular  castes  and  races,  both  white 
and  red  men,  among  whom  he  had  sojourned.  It  bore,  too,  throughout,  the  impress  of  his 
character,  his  bonhomie,  his  kindliness  of  spirit,  and  his  susceptibility  to  the  grand  and 
beautiful. 

That  manuscript  has  formed  the  staple  of  the  following  work.  I  have  occasionally- 
interwoven  facts  and  details,  gathered  from  various  sources,  especially  from  the  conversa- 
tions and  journals  of  some  of  the  captain's  contemporaries,  who  were  actors  in  the  scenes 
'he  describes.  I  have  also  given  it  a  tone  and  coloring  drawn  from  my  own  observation 
during  an  excursion  into  the  Indian  country  beyond  the  bounds  of  civilization  ;  as  I  before 
observed,  however,  the  work  is  substantially  the  narrative  of  the  worthy  captain,  and  many 
«f  its  most  graphic  passages  are  but  little  varied  from  his  own  language. 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  169 

be  remembered  that  the  border  at  that  time  was  the  Mis- 
souri River.  While  performing  this  service  he  went  with 
a  distinguished  party  on  a  grand  hunting  trip  to  the  Red 
Fork  of  the  Canadian  River,  then  went  westerly  to  the  great 
forest  known  as  '^Cross  Timbers,"  and  from  there  took  a 
southerly  route  home.  He  mentions  meeting  Captain  Will- 
lam  Sublette  and  Robert  Campbell  in  the  western  part  of 
Missouri  in  the  fall  of  1832  on  their  return  trip  from  Pierre's 
Hole.  Washington  Irving  never  saw  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
It  is  true  it  would  have  been  possible  for  him  to  have  visited 
this  country,  but  such  a  trip  was  not  easy  to  make  until  he 
was  too  old  to  undertake  the  journey.  He  was  born  in  1783 
and  died  in  1859.  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  have  known 
Mr.  Irving  in  my  childhood  days.  I  remember  him  very 
distinctly  and  pleasantly.  His  polished  manners  and  kind- 
ly greetings  would  and  did  captivate  every  one  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  In  the  year  1859  it  had  been  decided 
that  I  should  make  a  trip  to  California  overland.  Mr.  Ir- 
ving hearing  of  it,  took  occasion  to  give  me  some  sound  ad- 
vice and  instructions  regarding  the  journey.  Such  a  trip  he 
thought  was  a  great  opportunity  for  a  young  man  to  see  the 
world.  I  remember  he  expressed  the  idea  that  no  man 
should  go  abroad  until  he  had  become  acquainted  with 
every  part  of  his  own  country.  He  said  that  he  hoped  to 
see  and  talk  with  me  of  my  travels  and  adventures,  on  my 
return.  This  was  in  the  early  spring  of  1859.  On  my  arrival 
home  in  I860,  from  California,  I  w^as  shocked  to  learn  that 
he  had  been  dead  for  more  than  six  months. 

Washington  Irving  has  been  unkindly  criticised  by 
some  western  writers  because  he  could  not  foresee  that  the 
Rocky  Mountain  country  was  to  become  peopled  with  a  race 
of  men  and  women  of  the  highest  type  of  civilization.  Here 
is  the  offending  paragraph: 

"An  immense  belt  of  rocky  mountains  and  volcanic 
plains,  several  hundred  miles  in  width,  must  ever  remain 
an  irreclaimable  wilderness,  intervening  between  the  abodes 
of  civilization,  and  affording  a  last  refuge  to  the  Indian. 
Here  roving  tribes  of  hunters,  living  in  tents  or  lodges,  and 
following  the  migrations  of  the  game,  may  lead  a  life  of  sav- 


170  History  of  Wyoming. 

age  independence,  while  there  is  nothing  to  tempt  the  cu- 
pidity of  the  white  man.  The  amalgamation  of  various 
tribes  and  of  white  men  of  every  nation  will  in  time  produce 
hybrid  races  like  the  mountain  Tartars  of  the  Caucasus. 
Possessed  as  they  are  of  immense  droves  of  horses,  should 
they  continue  their  present  predatory  and  warlike  habits, 
they  may  in  time  become  a  scourge  to  the  civilized  frontiers 
on  either  side  of  the  mountains,  as  they  are  at  present  a 
terror  to  the  traveler  and  trader." 

That  paragraph  was  written  more  than  sixty-five  years 
ago  and  from  what  was  known  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  at 
that  time,  it  was  a  fair  conclusion  to  be  arrived  at.  The 
wonders  in  the  way  of  civilization  which  have  taken  place 
in  this  part  of  the  country  in  the  last  forty  years  have  as- 
tonished us,  but  it  was  the  magic  influence  of  gold  which  did 
it  all.  Had  it  not  been  for  this,  Washington  Irving's  pro- 
phecy would  have  been  fulfilled.  At  the  time  Mr.  Irving 
wrote  Bonneville  it  had  never  even  been  whispered  that 
gold  existed  in  these  mountains.  That  was  yet  to  be  dis- 
covered, and  when  it  was  all  things  were  changed.  Mr.  Ir- 
ving only  saw  value  in  the  fur  trade,  and  the  well-watered 
lands  on  either  side  of  the  great  mountains.  The  develop- 
ment which  came  with  the  opening  of  the  gold  mines  and 
the  digging  of  our  irrigation  canals  has  been  the  wonder  of 
the  Nineteenth  century,  and  no  peoples  have  been  more  suif- 
prised  than  we  who  have  participated  in  and  have  been  a 
part  of  the  great  transformation  scene.  Irving,  by  the 
magic  of  his  pen  attracted  attention  to  the  west.  One  of  the 
purposes  he  had  in  view  when  he  brought  out  his  "Astoria" 
was  to  build  up  this  country,  and  he  did  more  than  any  other 
man  of  his  time  to  educate  the  people  of  the  east  in  the 
great  values  that  were  contained  in  the  western  half  of  the 
continent.  I  am  glad  that  he  lived  long  enough  to  see  the 
wild  western  country,  of  which  he  wrote  so  charmingly, 
become  the  great  center  of  enterprise.  He  saw  the  rush  to 
California  in  forty-nine  and  through  the  early  fifties,  and 
again  in  1859  the  reports  from  Pike's  Peak  reached  him 
as  if  to  cheer  the  closing  year  of  his'  life. 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  171 


CHAPTER  XV. 

BONNEVILLE  LEAVES  WYOMING. 

Furs  Collected,  Convoyed  to  the  Big  Horn  and  Shipped  by  Bull 
Boats — Interesting  Incidents  of  the  Journey  North — Discovery 
OF  the  Great  Tar  Spring — Dangers  and  Difficulties  of  the 
Return  Trip — Discovery  of  Big  Hot  Spring  Near  Present  Site 
OF  Fort  Washakie — Captain  Bonneville  Attempts  to  Work  His 
Way  Through  the  Wind  River  Range — Ascent  of  Mount  Bon- 
neville— Toilsome  Journey — Discovers  a  Community  of  Beavers — 
Returns  to  His  Caches  on  Green  River  by  Way  of  South  Pass 
— Crosses  the  Wind  River  Range  at  the  Head  of  Green  River 
— Many  Incidents  of  His  Second  Journey  to  the  Columbia — 
Last  Winter  in  the  Mountains — Rendezvous  in  the  Wind  River 
Valley — Returns  to  Civilization. 

We  left  Captain  Bonneville  at  the  rendezvous  on  Green 
River,  it  being  his  second  season  at  that  point.  He  had 
collected  a  considerable  number  of  furs  which  he  determined 
to  send  to  St.  Louis  in  charge  of  Mr.  Cerre.  He  concluded 
that  the  trip  should  be  made  by  water  down  the  Big  Horn, 
Yellowstone,  and  thence  by  the  way  of  the  Missouri  River. 
Before  leaving  his  camp  he  detached  Mr.  Walker  on  a  tour 
of  exploration  to  Great  Salt  Lake,  which  was  then  little 
known  and  not  at  all  understood.  He  determined  to  have 
the  lake  properly  explored,  and  he  instructed  Mr.  Walker  to 
keep  along  the  shores  of  it  until  he  had  traversed  the  whole 
distance  to  the  place  of  beginning.  He  was  to  have  his  men 
trap  in  all  the  streams  on  his  route,  keep  a  journal  and  mi- 
nutely record  the  events  of  his  journey  and  note  everything 
curious  or  interesting.  He  was  also  to  make  maps  of  the 
country  through  which  he  passed  and  on  these  he  was  to  lay 
down  the  trail  of  his  party  from  the  time  of  leaving  until  his 
return.  Forty  men  were  to  accompany  Mr.  Walker,  and  the 
party  was  outfitted  with  provisions  for  a  year.  Mr.  Walker 
was  instructed  to  meet  Captain  Bonneville  on  Bear  River 
twelve  months  from  that  time.    After  the  departure  of  the 


172  History  of  Wyoming. 

Walker  party,  the  Captain  with  sixty  men  took  up  the  line 
of  march  and  started  for  the  Crow  country.  He  followed 
round  the  southern  end  of  the  Wind  River  Range,  then 
turned  north  until  he  reached  the  Popo  Agie,  down  which 
stream  he  made  his  way.  On  reaching  this  point  he  was 
reminded  by  some  of  his  trappers  that  he  was  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  "great  tar  spring."  This  spring  was  known  among 
trappers  and  the  tar  was  supposed  to  contain  great  medici- 
nal properties.  This  is  the  well  known  Murphy  oil  wells 
of  today,  and  Irving's  account  was  undoubtedly  the  first 
ever  published.    This  reads: 

"After  a  toilsome  search,  he  found  it  at  the  foot  of  a 
sand  bluff,  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  Wind  River  Mountains, 
where  it  exuded  in  a  small  stream  of  the  color  and  consist- 
ency of  tar.  The  men  immediately  hastened  to  collect  a 
quantity  of  it,  to  use  as  an  ointment  for  the  galled  backs  of 
their  horses  and  as  a  balsam  for  their  own  pains  and  aches. 
From  the  description  given  of  it,  it  is  evidently  the  bitu- 
minous oil,  called  petroleum  or  naphtha,  which  forms  a 
principal  ingredient  in  the  potent  medicine  called  British 
Oil.  It  is  found  in  various  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia,  in  seve- 
ral of  the  West  India  Islands  and  in  some  places  of  the 
United  States.  In  the  state  of  New  York  it  is  called  Seneca 
Oil,  from  being  found  near  the  Seneca  lake." 

It  will  be  discovered  that  Captain  Bonneville  made 
the  mistake  of  supposing  he  was  on  the  Popo  Agie,  whereas 
he  had  only  reached  the  south  branch  of  that  stream,  known 
at  this  day  as  the  Little  Popo  Agie.  The  name  Popo  Agie, 
he  says,  like  most  Indian  names,  is  characteristic,  Popo,  in 
the  Crow  language,  signifying  head,  and  Agie,  river. 

After  leaving  the  tar  springs,  he  proceeded  down  the 
left  bank  of  the  Little  Popo  Agie  and  finally  reached  Big 
Wind  River,  where  he  encamped  on  account  of  the  river 
being  swollen  by  recent  rains.  During  the  course  of  the 
afternoon  he  beheld  a  long  line  of  horsemen  descending  the 
slope  of  the  hills  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Popo  Agie. 
They  were  first  thought  to  be  Indians,  but  after  a  time 
Captain  Bonneville  became  satisfied  that  they  were  white 
men.  They  proved  to  be  the  convoy  of  Robert  Campbell, 
who  was  on  his  way  to  St.  Louis  with  a  large  stock  of  furs. 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  173 

Fitzpatrick  and  a  hardy  band  of  trappers  were  the  convoy; 
also  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth  on  his  way  to  Boston.  The  two 
parties  came  together  some  days  afterward  on  the  Big 
Horn  Eiver  and  camped  and  traveled  in  company  until  they 
reached  a  point  below  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Big  Horn, 
at  which  place  they  arrived  about  the  middle  of  August, 
where  they  constructed  bull  boats  of  buffalo  hides  stretched 
over  wooden  frames.  It  took  three  of  these  boats  to  convey 
the  peltries,  and  they  were  manned  by  Mr.  Cerre  and  thirty- 
six  men.  On  the  way  to  the  place  of  embarkation  on  the 
Big  Horn,  Captain  Bonneville  had  detached  two  parties  to 
trap  in  the  Crow  country,  and  after  the  departure  of  Mr. 
Cerre  and  the  boats,  this  brave  leader  found  himself  with 
only  four  men  and  forty-six  horses.  With  these  he  retraced 
his  steps  across  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  intending  to  join 
his  two  bands  which  he  had  left  on  the  road  going  north. 
On  the  mountain  the  Captain  discovered  traces  of  the  ter- 
rible Blackfeet  and  he  felt  no  little  solicitude  about  the 
two  small  parties  of  trappers  which  he  had  detached,  lest 
the  Indians  should  have  come  upon  them.  He  felt  still 
more  keenly  the  situation  of  his  own  little  band.  He  re- 
solved to  use  the  greatest  caution  and  thus  elude  the  sav- 
ages. No  guns  were  discharged  or  fires  lighted  for  some 
days,  and  it  was  not  until  the  last  day  of  their  march  to  the 
rendezvous,  where  they  expected  to  meet  the  two  bands, 
that  they  discharged  a  gun.  Hunger  overcame  their  cau- 
tion, so  they  fired  at  a  buffalo  bull  and  brought  him  down. 
The  best  pieces  of  meat  were  cut  from  the  carcass,  but  they 
now  hesitated  to  build  a  fire  and  cook  it,  as  all  along  their 
route  there  had  been  indications  of  the  presence  of  savages. 
They  therefore  conveyed  the  meat  to  their  place  of  rendez- 
vous, at  which  they  arrived  that  evening,  celebrating  their 
arrival  by  a  hearty  supper.  The  two  detachments  had  not 
yet  come  up,  therefore  the  next  morning  they  constructed  a 
log  fortress  for  their  own  defense  and  a  strong  pen  in  which 
to  confine  the  horses.  On  the  29th  the  two  detachments  so 
anxiously  looked  for  arrived.  They  had  experienced  many 
adventures  with  Indians,  and  in  consequence  had  been  un- 


174  History  of  Wyoming. 

able  to  secure  any  great  amount  of  furs.  They  had  been 
attacked  by  both  Blackfeet  and  Crows,  and  while  they  had 
lost  some  horses  and  camp  equipage,  none  of  the  men  had 
been  killed.  The  combined  party  after  this  moved  south. 
This  was  on  the  1st  of  September.  The  men  were  given  an 
opportunity  to  trap  as  they  passed  slowly  through  the 
country.  After  reaching  Wind  River  they  turned  westward 
up  that  stream.  Many  traps  had  been  lost  on  the  journey 
and  Captain  Bonneville  discovered  that  it  would  be  neces* 
sary  to  visit  the  caches  on  Green  River  for  a  fresh  supply; 
also  to  procure  a  few  other  much  needed  articles.  He  deter- 
mined to  take  three  men  with  him  and  make  the  journey, 
giving  instructions  to  the  main  body  to  proceed  up  the  Wind 
River,  trapping  on  the  way  in  the  small  tributaries  of  the 
stream.  It  was  understood  he  would  join  the  party  on  the 
headwaters  of  this  stream  as  soon  as  he  could  make  the 
trip  to  Green  River  and  return  over  one  of  the  low  passes  in 
the  mountains  which  have  an  outlet  at  the  head  of  Wind 
River.  Captain  Bonneville  and  his  party  of  three  crossed 
Wind  River  and  followed  up  the  Little  Wind  River.  On  the 
way  he  discovered  smoke  arising,  which  on  closer  investiga- 
tion proved  to  be  steam,  from  an  hot  spring  that  was  about 
twenty-five  yards  in  diameter  and  so  deep  that  the  water 
was  of  a  bright  green  color.  My  readers  will  recognize  this 
as  the  great  hot  spring  located  near  Fort  Washakie.  They 
were  now  advancing  in  the  direction  of  the  Wind  River 
Mountain,  but  the  Captain  saw  that  to  reach  the  goods  he 
had  cached  on  Green  River  by  a  detour  around  the  south 
end  of  the  mountain  made  a  distance  nearly  three  times  as 
great  as  it  would  be  if  there  were  some  practical  route 
through  the  Wind  River  Range.  He  therefore  determined 
to  try  and  find  such  an  opening.  The  party  first  went  u0 
the  North  Fork  Canon,  but  after  several  hours  spent  in 
climbing  precipices  they  reached  a  point  where  they  seemed 
surrounded  by  stupendous  crags  which  barred  further  pro- 
gress. There  was  nothing  to  do  but  again  return  to  the 
plains.  Following  south,  they  soon  came  to  the  main  Popo 
Agie  and  here  again  they  attempted  to  force  their  way 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  175 

through  the  mountain.  During  the  first  day  they  had  little 
difficulty.  They  passed  up  the  slope  half  a  mile  north  of  the 
Popo  Agie,  thinking  to  find  an  elevated  plain  a  few  miles 
farther  up,  but  instead  they  found  deep  ravines  and  a  sec- 
ond slope  similar  to  the  one  they  had  just  ascended,  and  so 
they  kept  on,  toiling  forward  and  upward,  until  night  over- 
took them  as  they  had  just  reached  a  wild  dell,  where  they 
made  their  camp  for  the  night.  The  next  morning  they 
pushed  on  again,  and  the  difficulties  increased  as  they  pro- 
ceeded. They  at  last  reached  a  point  where  they  had  to 
climb  down  into  a  rocky  ravine  in  order  to  ascend  the  next 
mountain.  In  attempting  to  get  their  horses  down  this 
place,  some  of  them  lost  their  footing  and  rolled  to  the  bot- 
tom. They  crossed  many  bright  streams  that  went  tumbling 
down  to  the  valley  below.  On  the  third  day  they  came  upon 
two  lakes  of  dazzling  beauty  surrounded  by  green  meadows. 
Here  they  left  their  horses  in  charge  of  one  man  and  Cap- 
tain Bonneville  with  the  other  two  climbed  the  neighboring 
height,  expecting  to  find  a  way  out  of  the  labyrinth  of  moun- 
tains. He  gained  the  summit  after  much  toil,  only  to  find 
himself  at  the  foot  of  another  lofty  peak.  To  the  right  and 
left  were  other  tall  mountains,  the  summits  of  which  were 
covered  with  snow.  Selecting  the  loftiest  peak,  they  turned 
their  footsteps  in  that  direction  and  finally  reached  its  base 
and  commenced  the  ascent,  and  found  it  the  most  difficult 
task  of  their  lives;  but  onward  they  pushed  and,  climbing 
at  times  on  their  hands  and  knees,  and  frequently  they  be- 
came so  exhausted  with  their  exertions  that  they  gladly 
dropped  down  in  the  snow  and  rested  from  their  laborious 
efforts  and  slaked  their  thirst  with  handfuls  of  snow.  At 
times  it  seemed  impossible  to  go  any  farther,  but  the  Cap- 
tain's pride  would  not  permit  him  to  turn  back,  so  he  still 
led  the  way  onward  and  upward.  At  last  the  three  men 
threw  off  their  coats  and  hung  them  on  some  stunted  bushes 
in  a  position  in  which  they  could  be  easily  seen  on  the  return 
journey.  Thus  lightly  clad,  they  nerved  themselves  for 
another  effort,  and  on  they  went  again,  climbing  as  it 
seemed  to  them  to  the  very  clouds,  and  at  last  reached  the 


176  History  of  Wyoming. 

highest  point  of  this  stupendous  mountain  peak.  The 
scene  that  here  burst  on  the  Captain's  view  fairly  over- 
whelmed him  with  its  grandeur.  No  matter  which  way  he 
turned  his  eyes  he  was  confounded  by  the  vastness  and  va- 
riety of  its  objects.  Beneath  him,  the  Rocky  Mountains 
seemed  to  open  all  their  secret  recesses;  deep  solemn  val- 
leys; treasured  lakes;  dreary  passes;  rugged  defiles  and 
foaming  torrents;  while  beyond  their  savage  precincts  the 
eye  was  lost  in  an  almost  immeasurable  landscape,  stretch- 
ing on  every  side  into  dim  and  hazy  distance,  like  the  ex^ 
pause  of  a  summer's  sea.  Whichever  way  he  looked,  he  be- 
held vast  plains  glimmering  with  reflected  sunshine;  mighty 
streams  wandering  on  their  shining  course  toward  either 
ocean,  and  snowy  mountains,  chain  beyond  chain,  and  peak 
beyond  peak,  until  they  melted  like  clouds  into  the  horizon. 
The  peak  on  which  Captain  Bonneville  had  climbexi  is  thir- 
ty-six miles  on  a  direct  line  west  from  Lander,  and  will  be 
found  on  a  map  of  the  state  marked  Mt.  Bonneville.  The 
Captain  earned  the  distinction  of  having  his  name  given 
to  one  of  the  grandest  peaks  of  the  Wind  River  range,  not 
only  by  ascending  it,  but  by  being  the  pioneer  mountain 
climber  in  Wyoming.  He  was  nine  years  ahead  of  Fremont 
and  underwent  this  hardship  as  a  volunteer  in  the  ranks  of 
explorers. 

I  am  well. aware  that  it  has  been  claimed  that  the  Mt. 
Bonneville  marked  on  the  map  is  not  the  mountain  peak 
climbed  by  Captain  Bonneville.  Later  explorations  by  the 
United  States  government  resulted  in  the  selection  of  this 
peak  as  the  one  Bonneville  ascended,  and  as  this  is  oflScial 
it  serves  my  purpose.  It  is  easy  to  split  hairs,  but  it  is  use- 
less, when  there  is  no  proof,  to  get  into  an  argument. 

The  party,  after  satisfying  their  curiosity  by  glancing 
at  the  headwaters  of  the  Columbia,  Green  River,  the  Big 
Horn  and  numerous  other  streams  that  circle  away  in  all 
directions,  and  looking  across  at  the  Grand  Tetons,  finally 
left  the  mountain  peak  and  retraced  their  footsteps  to  the 
valley  below,  regaining  their  coats  in  their  downward  pass- 
age.   They  at  length  reached  the  camp  where  the  horses 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  177 

were  pasturing  and  on  the  second  day  came  to  the  narrow 
valley  of  the  Popo  Agie,  some  distance  above  the  place  now 
occupied  by  the  farm  of  J.  S.  Meyer.    They  soon  came  upon 
numerous  communities  of  beaver.    Captain  Bonneville  gives 
an  interesting  description  of  the  beaver  at  work,  which  he 
chanced  to  discover  during  a  noonday  halt.    He  came  to  a 
beaver  pond  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  one  of  the  painstaking 
inhabitants  busily  at  work  upon  the  dam.    The  curiosity  of 
the  Captain  was  aroused  to  behold  the  mode  of  operating  of 
this  far-famed  architect;  he  moved  forward,  therefore,  with 
the  utmost  caution,  parting  the  branches  of  the  water-wil- 
lows without  making  any  noise,  until  having  attained  a 
position  commanding  a  view  of  the  whole  pond,  he  stretched 
himself  flat  on  the  ground  and  watched  the  solitary  work- 
man.   In  a  little  while  three  others  appeared  at  the  head  of 
the  dam,  bringing  sticks  and  bushes.    With  these  they  pro- 
ceeded directly  to  the  barrier,  which  Captain  Bonneville 
perceived  was  in  need  of  repair.     Having  deposited  their 
loads  upon  the  broken  part,  they  dived  into  the  water  and 
shortly  reappeared  at  the  surface.     Each  now  brought  a 
quantity  of  mud,  with  which  he  would  plaster  the  sticks  and 
bushes  just  deposited.    This  kind  of  masonry  was  continued 
for  some  time,  repeated  supplies  of  wood  and  mud  being 
brought  and  treated  in  the  same  manner.     This  done,  the 
industrious  animals  indulged  in  a  little  recreation,  chasing 
each  other  about  the  pond,  dodging  and  whisking  about  on 
the  surface  or  diving  to  the  bottom,  and  in  their  frolic  often 
slapping  their  tails  on  the  water  with  a  loud  clacking  sound. 
While  they  were  thus  amusing  themselves  another  of  the 
fraternity  made  his  appearance  and  looked  gravely  on  these 
sports  for  some  time  without  offering  to  join  them.     He 
then  climbed  the  banks  close  to  where  the  Captain  was 
concealed,  and,  rearing  himself  on  his  hind  quarters,  in  a 
sitting  position,  put  his  fore  paws  against  a  pine  tree,  and 
began  to  cut  the  bark  with  his  teeth.    At  times  he  would 
tear  off  a  small  piece  and  holding  it  between  his  paws,  and 
retaining  his  sedentary  position,  would  feed  himself  with  it 
after  the  fashion  of  a  monkey.    The  object  of  the  beaver, 
-(12) 


178  History  of  Wyoming. 

however,  was  evidently  to  cut  down  the  tree,  and  he  was 
proceeding  with  his  work  when  he  was  alarmed  by  the  ap- 
proach of  Captain  Bonneville's  men,  who,  feeling  anxious 
at  the  protracted  absence  of  their  leader,  were  coming  in 
search  of  him.  At  the  sound  of  their  voices,  all  the  beavers, 
busy  as  well  as  idle,  dived  beneath  the  surface  and  were 
no  more  to  be  seen. 

The  day  following  the  beaver  incident.  Captain  Bonne- 
ville shaped  his  course  to  the  south,  going  round  the  end  of 
Wind  River  Range,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  place  on 
Green  River,  where  his  goods  were  cached.  Taking  the  arti- 
cles and  supplies  he  needed,  he  set  out  on  the  18th  of  Sep- 
tember to  join  his  party  at  the  head  of  Wind  River.  This 
time  he  followed  up  a  branch  of  the  Green  River  and  finally 
reached  what  is  now  known  as  Sheridan  Pass,  by  which  he 
crossed  the  mountain  after  various  escapes  from  a  band  of 
Indians  who  had  dogged  his  footsteps  through  the  valley. 
Arriving  on  Wind  River,  he,  after  much  searching,  came 
upon  a  trail  made  by  his  party,  and  in  two  days  more  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  them.  They  now  remained  in  camp  for 
three  days  to  rest  their  horses,  but  some  of  the  trappers, 
however,  pursued  their  vocations  about  the  neighboring 
streams.  While  one  of  them  was  setting  his  traps  he  heard 
the  tramp  of  horses  and  looking  up  beheld  a  party  of  Crow 
braves  moving  along  at  no  great  distance  with  a  consider- 
able cavalcade.  The  trapper  hastened  to  conceal  himself 
but  was  discerned  by  the  quick  eye  of  the  savages.  With 
whoops  and  yells  they  dragged  him  from  his  hiding  place, 
flourished  over  his  head  their  tomahawks  and  scalping 
knives,  and  for  a  time  the  poor  trapper  gave  himself  up  for 
lost.  Fortunately  the  Crows  were  in  a  jocose  rather  than  a 
sanguinary  mood.  They  amused  themselves  heartily  for 
a  while  at  the  expense  of  his  terrors,  and  after  having  played 
off  divers  Crow  pranks  and  pleasantries  suffered  him  to  de- 
part unharmed.  It  is  true  they  stripped  him  completely, 
one  taking  his  horse,  another  his  gun,  a  third  his  traps,  a 
fourth  his  blanket,  and  so  on  through  all  his  accoutrements, 
and  even  his  clothing,  until  he  was  stark  naked;  but  then 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  179 

they  generously  made  him  a  present  of  an  old  battered  buf- 
falo robe,  and  dismissed  him  with  many  complimentary 
speeches  and  much  laughter.  When  the  trapper  returned 
to  camp  in  such  a  sorry  plight  he  was  greeted  with  peals  of 
laughter  from  his  comrades,  and  seemed  more  mortified  by 
the  style  in  which  he  had  been  dismissed  than  rejoiced  at 
escaping  with  his  life.  A  circumstance  which  he  related  to 
Captain  Bonneville  gave  some  insight  into  the  cause  of  the 
extreme  jocularity  on  the  part  of  the  Crows.  They  had 
evidently  had  a  run  of  luck,  and,  like  winning  gamblers, 
were  in  high  good  humor.  Among  twenty-six  fine  horses 
and  some  mules  which  composed  their  cavalcade,  the  trap- 
per recognized  a  number  which  had  belonged  to  Fitzpat- 
rick's  brigade,  when  they  parted  company  on  the  Big  Horn. 
It  was  supposed,  therefore,  that  these  vagabonds  had  been 
on  his  trail,  and  robbed  him  of  part  of  his  cavalry. 

The  Crows  were  decidedly  troublesome  that  season 
and  Captain  Bonneville  felt  fortunate  to  escape  from  the 
country  without  suffering  further  loss.  He  went  south  to 
the  Sweetwater  and  fortunately  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  oblit- 
erated his  track.  From  the  Sweetwater  he  turned  west 
to  Green  Kiver  and  arrived  once  more  at  his  caches  on  the 
14th  of  October.  From  that  point  he  went  down  the  Green 
River,  barely  escaping  a  war  party  of  three  hundred  Crows. 
Continuing  on,  he  reached  Ham's  Fork  on  the  26th  of  Oc- 
tober. A  day  of  two  after  he  fell  in  with  Fitzpatrick's  party 
and  learned  of  that  leader's  experience  on  the  banks  of  the 
Big  Horn  with  the  thieving  Crows,  the  incident  I  relate  in 
the  sketch  of  Jim  Beckwourth. 

Bonneville  now  proceeded  toward  Bear  River  and  going 
down  this  stream  encamped  on  the  6th  of  November  at  the 
outlet  of  what  is  now  known  as  Utah  Lake.  On  the  11th  he 
with  three  men  set  out  in  search  of  Mr,  Hodgkiss,  who  had 
been  sent  with  a  party  to  trap  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Solo- 
mon, but  before  starting  appointed  a  rendezvous  on  Snake 
River.  On  the  way  he  met  with  a  number  of  Bannocks  and 
was  invited  by  them  to  participate  in  a  buffalo  hunt,  which 
invitation  the  Captain  accepted.    The  hunt  was  a  success 


i8o  History  of  Wyoming. 

and  was  of  course  followed  by  a  feast,  which  was  enjoyed  to 
the  full  by  all  hands.  Of  this  feast  the  Captain  gives  an 
amusing  account.  Loads  of  meat  were  brought  in  and 
choice  pieces  roasted  before  large  fires.  Everybody,  in- 
cluding the  Bonneville  party,  fell  to  and  performed  their 
parts  with  a  relish.  The  warriors  in  proportion  to  the  ex- 
tent they  had  crammed  themselves  with  buffalo  meat,  grew 
brave,  and  after  supper  they  began  to  chant  war  songs,  set- 
ting forth  their  mighty  deeds  done  in  battle,  and  the  vic- 
tories they  had  gained  over  the  Blackfeet.  Warming  with 
the  theme,  and  inflating  themselves  with  their  own  eulo- 
gies, these  magnanimous  heroes  of  the  trencher  would  start 
up,  advance  a  short  distance  beyond  the  light  of  the  fires, 
and  apostrophize  most  vehemently  their  Blackfeet  enemies, 
as  though  they  had  been  within  hearing.  Ruffling  and 
swelling  and  snorting,  and  slapping  their  breasts,  and  bran- 
dishing their  arms,  they  would  vociferate  all  their  exploits; 
reminding  the  Blackfeet  how  they  drenched  their  towns  in 
tears  and  blood;  enumerate  the  blows  they  had  inflicted, 
the  w^arriors  they  had  slain,  the  scalps  they  had  brought  off 
in  triumph.  Then,  having  said  everything  that  could  stir  a 
man's  spleen  or  pique  his  valor,  they  would  dare  their 
imaginary  hearers,  now^  that  the  Bannocks  were  few  in  num- 
ber, to  come  and  take  their  revenge.  Receiving  no  reply  to 
this  valorous  bravado,  they  would  conclude  by  all  kinds  of 
sneers  and  insults,  deriding  the  Blackfeet  for  dastards  and 
poltroons  that  dared  not  accept  their  challenge.  "Such  is 
the  kind  of  swaggering,"  says  Bonneville,  "in  which  the  red 
men  are  prone  to  indulge  in  their  vainglorious  moments; 
for  with  all  their  vaunted  taciturnity,  they  are  vehemently 
prone  at  all  times  to  become  eloquent  about  their  exploits 
and  to  sound  their  own  trumpet." 

Captain  Bonneville  now  shaped  his  course  towards 
Snake  River  and  on  the  19th  of  November  fell  upon  traces 
of  the  party  of  which  he  was  in  search  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  reached  the  encampment  of  Hodgkiss  and  his  free 
trappers.  This  was  the  band  that  refused  to  accompany  the 
Captain  to  Green  River,  preferring  to  trap  on  the  upper 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  i8i 

waters  of  the  Solomon,  but  fate  had  been  against  them. 
They  had  become  entangled  in  the  mountains  and  had  lost 
much  time  in  extricating  themselves,  and  they  had  also 
been  so  unfortunate  as  to  encounter  unfriendly  Indians 
and  were  obliged  to  again  take  shelter  in  the  mountains,  so 
altogether  their  season's  work  amounted  to  little.  Captain 
Bonneville,  at  the  head  of  the  united  party,  set  out  to  join 
the  band  he  had  recently  left,  and  succeeded  in  finding  them 
on  December  4th  and  proceeded  at  once  to  establish  a  win- 
ter camp  on  the  Portneuf. ,  After  the  camp  had  been  put  in. 
order  for  the  winter,  the  Captain  organized  an  expedition  to 
penetrate  as  far  west  as  the  Columbia,  with  a  view  to  estab- 
lishing  a  fort  on  its  lower  waters.  Taking  with  him  three 
men  and  five  horses,  he  set  out  on  his  journey  on  Christmas 
morning,  promising  to  return  to  the  Portneuf  camp  during 
the  early  part  of  March.  They  journeyed  down  Snake  River,, 
following  the  identical  path  over  which  Mr.  Hunt  and  his 
party  had  traveled  twenty-two  years  before.  It  was  a  wild 
winter's  journey  and  they  suffered  much  with  cold  and 
hunger.  They  encountered  many  Indian  villages,  but  they 
were  so  poverty  stricken  that  they  had  nothing  in  the  way 
of  provisions  to  sell,  and  the  party  found  themselves  re- 
duced  to  the  necessity  of  living  on  small  rations  of  dried 
flesh  secured  by  killing  a  mule  which  was  about  to  give  out, 
and  when  that  was  gone  they  subsisted  on  roots.  At  last 
they  came  to  a  camp  of  the  Nez  Perces,  and  were  thus  saved 
from  perishing  from  fatigue,  hunger  and  cold.  Purchasing 
fresh  horses  of  these  friendly  Indians,  they  pushed  on  and 
on  March  4,  1834,  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla,  on  the  Colum. 
bia,  a  trading  post  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  The  Cap- 
tain and  his  men  received  every  kindness  at  the  hands  of  the 
company's  agent  at  that  point,  but  when  he  made  applica- 
tion to  purchase  provisions  for  his  return  journey,  he  was 
politely  but  firmly  refused,  as  it  was  against  the  policy  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  to  assist  those  who  proposed  to 
become  rivals  in  trade.  Two  days  later  Captain  Bonneville 
and  his  three  companions  started  on  their  return,  and  after 
many  adventures  reached  Portneuf  River  on  May  12,  near 


1 82  History  of  Wyoming. 

the  place  he  had  left  his  people  encamped  on  the  Christmas 
previous.  The  party  left  at  the  winter  camp  had  suffered 
much  during  the  absence  of  its  leader  and  he  did  not  find 
them  until  the  1st  of  June.  After  this,  the  course  of  the 
party  was  up  Bear  River  and  on  the  13th  of  June  they 
reached  Utah  Lake,  and  after  spending  four  days  in  exam- 
ining the  shores  and  outlets,  pushed  on  and  soon  came  upon 
the  detachment  sent  out  the  year  before  to  explore 
the  shores  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  It  will  be  remembered 
that  this  party  left  Green  River  Valley  July  24,  1833, 
charged  with  an  important  mission.  They  had  entirely  lost 
sight  of  the  instructions  and  had  wandered  over  sandy  des- 
erts and  mountains,  trapping  on  various  streams,  and  final- 
ly encountered  a  band  of  Root-Digger  Indians.  These  were 
seemingly  an  inoffensive  people,  but  the  trappers  com- 
plained that  some  one  was  stealing  their  traps.  It  was  be- 
lieved that  these  Indians  were  the  guilty  parties.  A  trapper 
with  an  ungovernable  temper  discovering  the  loss  of  his 
traps  one  morning,  vowed  he  would  kill  the  first  Indian  he 
met,  whether  he  be  innocent  or  guilty.  Soon  after  this  man 
came  upon  two  Indians  who  were  seated  upon  the  bank  of  a 
river  fishing.  One  of  these  he  shot  and  threw  the  body  into 
the  stream.  The  other  escaped  and  it  was  presumed  gave 
the  alarm  to  his  tribe.  Shortly  after  this  the  trappers  con- 
cluded it  was  best  to  leave  the  neighborhood,  as  they  saw 
signs  which  induced  them  to  believe  the  Indians  contem- 
plated vengeance.  Proceeding  west,  they  arrived  at  a  cross- 
ing of  Ogden's  River,  where  they  noticed  a  large  party  of 
Indians  gathered  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  in- 
tending, as  they  supposed,  to  oppose  their  passage.  The 
trappers  fired  upon  the  natives  and  killed  twenty-five.  The 
balance  fled  in  terror  for  a  short  distance,  when  they  stopped 
and  set  up  fearful  cries  of  distress.  The  trappers  now  pur- 
sued the  remainder  of  the  tribe  and  drove  them  far  from 
their  path.  The  victors  proceeded  down  Ogden's  River  and 
crossed  the  mountain,  when  they  turned  south  and  entered 
the  Spanish  village  Monterey.  Here  they  spent  a  season 
in  gay  life,  attending  bull  and  bear  fights,  used  up  the  sup- 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  183 

plies  provided  by  Captain  Bonneville,  and  even  sold  the  furs 
taken  on  the  journey  to  furnish  means  to  keep  up  their  feast- 
ing and  mad  revelry.  When  Captain  Bonneville  received 
these  reports,  his  indignation  knew  no  bounds;  the  worse 
than  failure  of  the  expedition  pricked  him  to  the  quick,  as 
it  had  cost  him  a  large  amount  of  money  which  he  could  ill 
afford.  The  great  Salt  Lake  still  remained  unexplored.  The 
expedition  he  had  led  into  the  wilderness  was  not  turning 
out  to  be  a  money-making  venture.  At  this  juncture  Mr. 
Cerre  arrived  at  the  rendezvous  with  supplies  for  the  season 
direct  from  the  east,  and  after  these  had  been  distributed 
detachments  were  sent  out  on  another  trapping  campaign. 
Montero,  with  his  band,  proceeded  to  the  Crow  country  to 
trap;  he  was  then  to  go  through  the  Black  Hills  and  follow 
south  to  the  Arkansas,  where  he  was  to  winter.  Cerre  and 
Walker  started  with  a  number  of  men  to  convey  the  furs 
they  had  taken  the  past  season  to  St.  Louis.  The  Captain 
started  for  the  Columbia  country,  where  he  expected  to 
winter,  then  recross  the  mountains  and  join  Montero  the 
following  July  on  the  Arkansas,  where  the  rendezvous  was 
fixed  for  the  next  season.  Accordingly,  the  various  compa- 
nies separated  on  July  3rd  for  their  different  destinations. 
Captain  Bonneville's  trappers  worked  all  the  streams  on  the 
way  to  the  Columbia.  He  had  hoped  to  do  a  thriving  trade 
with  the  natives  on  this  river,  but  on  arriving  there  he  dis- 
covered that  the  Indians  had  been  influenced  by  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  not  to  trade  or  hold  any  communication  with 
him.  The  farther  he  proceeded  the  more  marked  became 
this  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  natives  to  obey  their  mas- 
ters, the  agents  of  the  rival  company.  He  was  unable  to 
buy  even  the  necessary  provisions  for  his  party  and  conse- 
quently he  retraced  his  steps  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Port- 
neuf,  where  they  found  abundant  game  and  good  pasturage 
for  their  horses.  Arriving  there  about  November  1st,  they 
remained  until  the  17th,  when,  having  received  two  mes- 
sengers from  Montero's  party  who  had  been  sent  after  sup- 
plies, the  Captain  broke  up  his  camp  and  started  for  his 
caches  on  Bear  River  to  procure  the  articles  called  for.    By 


184  History  of  Wyoming. 

these  messengers  he  countermanded  the  order  previously 
given  to  the  Montero  party  to  rendezvous  on  the  Arkansas, 
changing  the  place  to  the  Wind  River  Valley  on  the  forks  of 
the  Popo  Agie.  After  the  departure  of  the  messengers, 
Bonneville  remained  in  camp  several  days  to  trade  with  a 
band  of  Shoshones  in  the  neighborhood.  He  then  moved  up 
Bear  River  to  the  place  selected  for  his  winter  encampment, 
where  his  brigade  enjoyed  peace  and  plenty  during  the  cold 
weather.  On  the  1st  of  April,  1835,  he  broke  up  his  camp. 
Passing  down  Ham's  Fork  to  Green  River,  he  trapped  along 
that  stream  until  June  22,  when  he  set  out  with  his  party 
for  the  rendezvous  in  the  Wind  River  Valley.  Montero 
arrived  in  good  time  and  reported  a  successful  trapping 
expedition  in  the  Crow  country.  He  had  had  one  encounter 
with  the  Blackfeet  and  lost  some  of  his  horses.  The  united 
parties  celebrated  the  4th  of  July  at  the  rendezvous  in  true 
patriotic  style.  Captain  Bonneville  had  erected  three  cab- 
ins for  the  use  of  his  men  and  in  which  to  store  his  goods. 
These  cabins  were  long  a  landmark  in  the  lower  valley  and 
are  known  to  this  day  as  the  "Three  Cabins."  Major  Noyes 
Baldwin,  when  he  received  his  permit  in  1866  to  trade  with 
the  Shoshones,  moved  his  family  and  goods  into  these  cab- 
ins, and  it  was  on  this  spot  that  he  first  set  up  business  in 
that  country.  Montero,  having  drawn  his  supplies,  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  brigade  of  trappers  and  again 
started  on  another  campaign,  while  Bonneville,  with  the 
residue  of  his  command,  turned  south  and  reaching  the 
Sweetwater  followed  the  course  of  that  stream  to  the  North 
Platte,  and  so  on  to  civilization. 

This  renowned  trader,  trapper  and  explorer  is  worthy 
of  a  biographical  sketch  in  these  pages,  which  is  herewith 
appended. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 

Captain  Benjamin  Louis  Eulalie  Bonneville  was  born 
in  France,  1796.  His  father  was  a  man  of  superior  educa- 
tion and  the  owner  of  a  printing  establishment  in  Paris  at 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  185 

the  time  Bonneville  was  born.  He  was  a  Republican  and 
belonged  to  a  Paris  club  organized  by  Tom  Paine.  During 
our  Revolutionary  War  with  England  there  were  many 
pamphlets  published  at  the  Bonneville  printing  establish- 
ment which  were  in  the  interest  of  the  Americans,  and  these 
publications  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  building  up  of  a 
sentiment  favorable  to  the  struggling  colonies.  When  Na- 
poleon came  into  power  he  took  measures  to  control  the 
press  of  Paris  and  tracing  some  offensive  pamphlets  to  the 
Bonneville  press,  he  ordered  the  proprietor  imprisoned  in 
the  "Temple."  After  a  time  he  was  released  and  he  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  go  to  America  with  his  family,  but  Na- 
poleon ordered  him  kept  under  surveillance  by  the  police 
and  that  he  be  not  allowed  to  leave  France.  Tom  Paine, 
who  had  been  in  Paris  for  some  time,  was  informed  by 
friends  that  he  was  in  danger  of  arrest ;  he  therefore  secretly 
left  France,  taking  with  him,  by  desire  of  her  husband, 
Madame  Bonneville  and  her  son  Benjamin,  then  a  small 
boy.  On  arriving  in  New  York,  Mrs.  Bonneville  and  her 
son  were  sent  to  the  country  residence  of  Tom  Paine,  New 
Rochelle.  The  elder  Bonneville  after  a  time  escaped  from 
Paris  and  joined  his  wife  and  son  in  New  York  City,  where 
she  had  opened  a  school  for  young  ladies.  When  young 
Benjamin  was  old  enough,  Tom  Paine  secured  his  appoint- 
ment to  West  Point,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in 
1819.  When  General  Lafayette  visited  America  in  1824 
he  looked  up  the  Bonneville  family  and  evinced  a  deep  in- 
terest in  them.  This  becoming  known  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment, young  Bonneville,  out  of  compliment  to  General  La- 
fayette, was  appointed  an  aide  on  the  staff  of  the  distin- 
guished and  much  beloved  visitor,  and  the  young  man  ac- 
companied the  General  on  his  tour  through  the  United 
States.  When  Lafayette  returned  to  his  home,  he  asked 
that  young  Bonneville  be  allowed  to  return  with  him  to 
France  as  his  guest.  How  long  he  remained  abroad  I  do  not 
know,  but  on  his  return  to  America  he  was  appointed  a 
Lieutenant  and  went  into  service  on  the  frontier,  and  it  was 
here  he  acquired  a  desire  to  penetrate  the  wilderness.     In 


1 86  History  of  Wyoming. 

course  of  time  he  was  promoted  to  a  Captaincy.  From  time 
to  time  he  met  trappers  and  traders  from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  it  soon  became  the  ambition  of  his  life  to  lead  an 
expedition  across  the  continent  with  the  object  of  studying 
the  character  of  Indian  tribes,  the  discovering  of  a  road  for 
the  use  of  emigrants  and  the  making  of  a  correct  map  of  the 
country  through  which  he  passed.  He  believed  that  such 
an  expedition  could  be  made  self-sustaining  by  trading  with 
Indians  and  by  trapping,  provided  he  could  secure  the  capi- 
tal necessary  for  the  outfitting  and  the  purchase  of  goods 
to  be  used  in  trading  with  Indians.  The  Captain  fortunately 
had  wealthy  friends  who  were  willing  to  advance  the  money 
needed.  He  applied  to  General  Macomb  for  leave  of  ab- 
sence, giving  in  detail  his  plans.  His  request  was  promptly 
granted. 

Three  years  and  four  months  from  the  time  of  his  de« 
parture  from  Fort  Osage,  on  the  Missouri,  Captain  Bonne- 
ville reported  to  General  Macomb  at  Washington  and  asked 
permission  to  file  his  report  of  the  expedition  he  had  con- 
ducted into  the  interior  of  the  continent.  He  was  informed 
that  the  war  office  had  eagerly  looked  for  his  return  for  a 
long  time,  but  had  finally  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  and 
his  companions  had  met  death  in  the  wilderness,  and  he 
had  therefore  been  dropped  from  the  rolls  of  the  army. 
The  Captain  was  dumfounded  when  informed  that  he  had 
been  deposed,  but  he  promptly  demanded  reinstatement. 
He  was  told  that  this  was  irregular,  and  as  it  concerned  a 
large  number  of  officers  who  were  anxious  for  promotion, 
his  request  was  denied.  His  return  created  a  profound  sen- 
sation in  army  circles,  but  there  was  not  an  officer  who 
would  espouse  his  cause.  He  was  told  that  he  had  been  en- 
gaged in  a  private  enterprise  for  his  own  profit  and  emolu- 
ment and  that  he  could  not  expect  to  be  restored  to  his  rank 
after  having  overstayed  his  leave  of  absence  nearly  two 
years.  Bonneville  now  went  to  the  President,  General  Jack- 
son and  laid  the  case  before  him.  The  old  hero  and  states- 
man  heard  him  with  kindness  and  attention,  and  knocking 
the  ashes  from  his  cob-pipe  said:    "You  were  absent  from 


Captain  Bonneville  in  Wyoming.  187 

duty  for  specific  objects,  such  as  information  in  regard  to 
the  wild  tribes,  the  mountain  routes  and  passes  and  maps 
of  the  country.  Have  you  these  maps  to  prove  this  service?" 
"I  have,  sir."  "Let  me  examine  them."  Jackson  put  on 
his  spectacles  and  was  absorbed  in  them  some  time.  "By 
the  eternal,  sir,"  he  said,  "I'll  see  that  you  are  reinstated 
to  your  command.  For  this  valuable  service  you  deserve  a 
high  promotion."  Bonneville  was  restored.  Soon  after  his 
restoration  he  was  given  command  of  Fort  Gibson,  and 
later  was  ordered  to  Carlisle  Barracks,  Pennsylvania,  and 
while  there  met  Miss  Annie  Lewis,  a  daughter  of  Judge 
Lewis  of  that  place.  The  gallant  soldier  was  an  ardent  ad- 
mirer of  this  young  lady  and  in  due  course  of  time  he  mar- 
ried her,  and  soon  after  was  ordered  to  Jefferson  Barracks, 
By  this  union  they  had  one  child,  a  girl.  This  daughter's 
name  was  Mary,  and  she  is  spoken  of  as  a  beautiful  and  ac- 
complished young  lady,  but  at  the  age  of  eighteen  she  died. 
A  few  days  after  the  death  of  Mary  her  grief-stricken 
mother  died  also,  and  the  two  occupied  graves  side  by  side 
in  a  St.  Louis  cemetery.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Semi- 
nole war  Captain  Bonneville  played  a  conspicuous  part  and 
was  promoted  to  Major  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  for  merit- 
orious service.  He  went  with  his  command  to  Mexico  and 
again  distinguished  himself  and  was  promoted  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  the  Fourth  Infantry  and  in  1852  was  ordered  to 
the  Pacific  coast.  February  3,  1855,  he  was  promoted  Golo» 
nel  of  the  Third  Infantry.  He  was  retired  from  active  ser- 
vice September  9,  1861.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he 
volunteered  his  services  to  the  government  and  was  ordered 
to  Jefferson  Barracks  and  made  mustering  ofiicer,  which 
position  he  held  until  the  close  of  the  war.  On  March  13th, 
1865,  he  was  brevetted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  married 
a  second  time  late  in  life  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  went  to 
live  on  his  farm,  located  at  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  where  he 
died  on  June  12,  1878.  The  photograph  which  appears  on 
another  page  was  taken  in  the  year  1873. 

The  Indians  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  called  Bonneville 
the  "Bald  Headed  Chief,"  as  he  was  in  fact  very  bald.    In 


1 88  History  of  Wyoming. 

the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  wore  a  wig,  as  will  be  noticed 
in  his  published  portrait.  His  widow  is  still  living  at  Fort 
Smith. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAPPERS  AND  TRADERS. 

Trappers  First  Permanent  Settlers  in  Wyoming— Personal  Mention 
Jim  Beckwourth — Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth— James  Bridger— Kit  Car- 
son— ^Jedediah  S.  Smith — ^Joshua  Pilcher — George  W.  Ebberts — 
Robert  Newell — Captain  William  Sublette — Thomas  Fitzpatrick 
— Frapp — Jervaise — Fontenelle  —  Jennings  —  LeRoy  —  Ross  ^  Sin- 
clair Brothers — Dripps — Vasques — Goodale— Pappen — Tulleck. 

It  will  be  clearly  established  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
read  the  early  history  of  Wyoming  that  to  the  trappers  be- 
long the  credit  of  having  first  made  permanent  homes  in 
this  country.  Many  of  the  men  who  came  out  with  Ashley, 
Sublette,  Bonneville  and  other  renowned  heroes,  conceived 
the  idea  of  making  the  mountains  their  abiding  place.  They 
paid  dearly  for  their  temerity,  and  the  estimate  is  that 
three-fifths  of  this  number  met  violent  deaths  at  the  hands 
of  the  savages.  A  majority  took  Indian  wives,  but  this  only 
protected  them  from  the  particular  tribes  to  which  their 
wives  belonged.  The  hereditary  enemies  of  such  tribea 
scalped  these  white  men  whenever  the  opportunity  offered. 
When  Fremont  came  into  the  country  he  found  numerous 
white  men  who  had  married  among  Indians,  and  he  es- 
pecially mentions  the  fact  that  as  a  result  of  such  marriages 
there  was  an  abundance  of  half-breed  children.  I  can  im- 
agine that  some  of  my  readers  will  be  inclined  to  the  opinion 
that  these  white  men  had  become  by  association  little  bet- 
ter than  the  natives;  but  this  by  no  means  follows;  nor  was 
it  the  case.  Those  who  settled  down  to  make  homes  in  the 
wilderness,  far  from  civilization,  were  the  bravest  of  the 
brave;  they  lived  for  the  most  part  honorably  with  their  na- 


'Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  189 

tive  wives  and  provided  abundantly  for  their  offspring. 
Their  surroundings  did  not  permit  them  to  give  to  their 
children  the  advantages  of  education  and  civilization,  and 
yet  it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  their  homes '  were  the 
abodes  of  love  and  tenderness.  In  those  days  educa- 
tion was  not  the  privilege  of  all,  even  in  the  states. 
The  most  of  the  trappers  were  men  without  education 
and  their  lot  was  no  worse  in  the  mountains  than  it 
would  have  been  at  home,  except  for  the  dangers  incl- 
dent  to  their  calling.  It  must  be  admitted  that  even  savage 
women  have  their  charms,  under  certain  circumstances. 
The  fair  daughters  of  the  mountain  chieftains  of  Wyoming 
were  no  less  charming  than  those  of  Powhatan,  who  wed 
Pocahontas  to  a  white  man,  and  polite  society  approved. 
The  daughter  of  the  Virginia  chieftain,  it  is  true,  saved  Cap- 
tain John  Smith  from  the  murderous  war  club  of  her  savage 
father.  Are  there  any  to  claim  that  the  princesses  of  the 
mountains  were  less  powerful  to  protect  white  men?  Hu- 
manity is  alike  to  some  extent  in  all  countries  and  all  ages, 
and  the  white  men  who  came  to  Wyoming  in  the  first  half  of 
the  century  were  no  exception  to  the  rule.  To  live  with  a 
squaw  was  the  custom  of  the  country,  and  besides,  the  un- 
lettered trappers  were  not  the  only  white  men  who  indulged 
their  fancy  in  this  particular.  Men  highly  educated  did  the 
same  thing.  "The  Free  Trapper's  Bride"  is  pictured  in  ele- 
gant prose  by  Washington  Irving  in  his  story  of  Captain 
Bonneville,  and  Bancroft,  who  loses  no  opportunity  to  stab 
Irving's  hero,  says  in  his  "Adventures  of  Nathaniel  J.  Wy- 
eth,"  in  1834:  "They  also  reached  Powder  River  the  28th 
and  on  the  31st  arrived  at  Grand  Ronde,  where  they  found 
Bonneville  and  his  company.  This  amateur  forester,  with 
a  troop  of  Nez  Perces  and  Cayuses  at  his  heels,  visited  Wy- 
eth's  camp,  and  by  his  broad,  genial  good  humor,  which  then 
happily  possessed  him,  and  his  French  manners,  created  a 
favorable  impression.  Meanwhile,  flitting  in  the  distance, 
astride  a  sleek  bay  horse,  gayly  caparisoned,  the  mane  and 
tail  tied  full  of  scarlet  and  blue  ribbons,  was  a  beautiful 
damsel,  glittering  in  finery,  loaded  with  bells,  beads,  and 


190  History  of  Wyoming. 

rings  fastened  to  bands  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  who  managed 
her  horse  as  being  part  of  it,  but  held  aloof  as  the  property 
of  one  who  brooked  no  familiarity  in  the  matter  of  mis- 
tresses." 

I  have  no  desire  to  apologize  for  the  personal  conduct 
of  the  early  trappers.  They  came  into  the  country  and  took 
their  chances,  braved  the  dangers,  and  a  majority  of  them, 
as  has  been  said,  lost  their  lives.  Their  social  relations  with 
the  Indian  tribes  have  no  bearing  on  the  subjects  discussed 
in  this  volume.  Their  alliances  with  the  daughters  of  the 
mountains  are  mere  incidents  in  the  history  of  these  men. 

The  introduction  of  spiritous  liquors  was  an  evil  far- 
reaching,  not  only  among  the  trappers  but  also  to  the  Indian 
tribes.  Of  course  this  traffic  added  to  the  profits  of  the 
trader,  and  yet  the  injury  it  inflicted  on  the  whites,  half- 
breeds  and  natives  was  beyond  calculation.  Whole  tribes 
were  demoralized,  white  men  brutalized,  and  all  because  of 
the  greed  of  those  who  came  to  the  mountains  to  build  up 
fortunes.  It  was  the  one  great  blot  on  the  character  of  the 
heroes  who  established  commerce  in  the  wilderness.  Fu- 
ture generations,  when  they  come  to  sum  up  the  moral 
worth  of  the  trader  and  trapper,  will  see  no  great  difference 
between  the  men  who  sold  skins  for  whisky  and  those  who 
bartered  whisky  for  skins. 

In  this  chapter  I  desire  to  group  together  many  of  the 
trappers  and  traders  and  tell  their  experiences  while  in 
Wyoming.  I  shall  be  obliged  in  most  instances  to  barely 
mention  names.  The  task  has  been  a  difficult  one.  My  pur- 
pose from  the  first  was  to  give  the  names  of  these  men  in 
connection  with  incidents  relating  to  the  fur  trade,  and  this 
has  been  done  wherever  possible.  It  should  be  understood 
that  the  fur  trade,  first  and  last,  employed  in  this  state  seve- 
ral thousand  people,  and  only  a  very  small  percentage  of 
these  have  left  any  record,  and  that  record  very  imperfect. 
Full  names  are  the  exception,  as  I  find  them  mentioned  in 
publications  relating  to  the  fur  trade. 

Jim  Beckwourth,  who  came  to  the  mountains  under 
Ashley  and  was  known  among  the  trappers  and  traders  as 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  191 

one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  led  a  life  of  adventure  such 
as  few  men  of  his  day  could  boast.  He  served  at  first  under 
Ashley  and  then  under  Sublette.  While  serving  the  lattep 
he  joined  the  Crow  nation  and  by  his  bravery  became  a 
powerful  chief.  After  joining  the  Crows  he  was  charged  by 
trappers  with  instigating  that  tribe  to  steal  furs  and  horses 
from  the  trappers  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  and  American 
Fur  Companies.  This  he  has  denied  many  times.  He  never 
contradicted,  however,  the  many  marriages  charged  to  hia 
account.  Being  sent  to  trade  with  the  Blackfeet  tribe  on 
one  occasion  by  Fitzpatrick,  he  prepared  the  way  by  marry- 
ing the  daughter  of  the  chief,  after  which  he  opened  up  and 
did  a  thriving  business.  While  he  was  with  the  Crows  he 
had  fully  a  dozen  wives.  Fremont  in  1842  met  at  Chabon- 
ard's  ranch  on  the  Platte  a  young  Spanish  woman  who  he 
said  was  the  wife  of  Jim  Beckwourth.  It  has  been  charged 
that  he  on  one  occasion  infected  some  goods  with  the 
germs  of  smallpox  and  then  sent  them  to  a  camp  of  Black- 
feet,  and  the  result  was  that  a  large  number  of  the  savages 
took  the  disease  and  many  died.  I  have  carefully  exam- 
ined many  of  the  charges  made  against  Beckwourth,  and 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  one  of  those  charac- 
ters who  delight  in  telling  monstrous  stories  about  them- 
selves, but  they  are  really  not  as  bad  as  they  make  out.  Hei 
was  constantly  boasting  about  the  number  of  Indians  he  had 
killed  on  various  occasions,  and  he  tried  to  make  people  be"- 
lieve  that,  like  David,  he  had  slain  his  tens  of  thousands. 
The  real  facts  are,  he  had  killed  a  number  of  Indians,  it  is 
true,  but  he  was  fond  of  exaggeration.  He  had  some  good 
traits;  this  cannot  be  denied.  After  living  with  the  Crows  a 
number  of  years  he  went  into  the  service  of  the  American 
Fur  Company  on  the  Yellowstone,  but  later  withdrew  and 
went  to  California.  At  one  time  he  kept  a  hotel,  but  falling 
under  suspicion  of  being  connected  with  a  band  of  horse- 
thieves,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  California;  returning  to 
Wyoming.  When  Denver  was  first  settled  he  went  to  that 
place  and  opened  a  store  but  did  not  continue  long  in  busi- 
ness.   W.  N.  Byers  informs  me  that  at  the  time  he  came  to 


192  History  of  Wyoming. 

Denver,  in  1859,  he  took  up  a  ranch  in  what  is  now  a  popu- 
lous part  of  the  city,  and  his  next  neighbor  was  Jim  Beck- 
wourth.  He  had  located  on  a  quarter  section  of  land  and 
lived  on  it  in  a  cabin.  Beckwourth  afterward  built  a  good 
house  and  while  living  there  married  a  daughter  of  a  col- 
ored washerwoman  in  town.  The  Crow  Indians  sent  him 
many  pressing  invitations  to  come  and  see  them,  as  they 
were  in  need  of  his  advice.  This  tribe  claimed  that  he  was 
their  "good  medicine."  Finally  Beckwourth  resolved  to 
pay  his  old  friends  a  farewell  visit.  Mr.  Byers  thinks  that 
this  was  about  the  year  1867,  but  he  does  not  feel  certain  as 
to  the  date.  The  tribe  at  this  time  was  in  Montana  and  re- 
ceived Beckwourth  with  open  arms.  The  Crows  before  this 
period  had  met  with  great  misfortunes.  Between  war  and 
disease  the  tribe  was  greatly  decimated,  and  they  attributed 
their  bad  luck  of  late  years  to  the  absence  of  Beckwourth. 
He  was  feasted  in  all  their  villages  and  his  visit  was  one 
grand  ovation.  Finally  he  announced  his  intention  of  re- 
turning to  Denver  and  the  head  men  of  the  tribe  made  this 
the  occasion  of  a  grand  farewell  feast.  There  was  boiled 
puppy  and  all  the  choice  dishes  of  the  Indian  epicure  and 
Beckwourth  was  seated  in  the  center  of  the  feast  while  good 
cheer  went  the  rounds.  The  memories  of  happy  days  when 
the  Crows  were  a  numerous  and  powerful  nation,  were  re- 
vived, and  stories  told  of  battles  fought  and  victories  won 
while  Beckwourth  was  their  chief.  At  last  the  feast  drew 
to  a  close,  when  one  more  choice  dish,  prepared  for  the  hon- 
ored and  loved  former  chieftain,  was  pressed  upon  him.  Of 
this  he  ate  and  dropped  dead !  He  had  been  poisoned.  They 
explained  afterwards  that  in  spite  of  all  their  entreaties 
Beckwourth  was  determined  to  return  to  Denver.  He  had 
always  been  "good  medicine"  to  the  tribe,  and  if  they  could 
not  have  him  alive  they  resolved  to  have  him  dead,  that  his 
bones  might  be  kept  with  them.  Thus  perished  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  characters  ever  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. He  was  born  April  26,  1798,  at  Fredricksburg, 
Virginia,  his  mother  being  a  slave  woman  and  his  father  a 
white  man.    Beckwourth  took  great  pride  in  the  fact  that 


SJcetches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  193 

his  father  was  a  major  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The 
following  interesting  story  is  told  of  Beckwourth's  services 
to  white  men  who  suffered  capture  among  the  Indians: 

^'During  1834,  Captain  Stuart,  an  English  army  oflQcer, 
who  had  served  under  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  Dr.  Ben- 
jamin Harrison,  a  son  of  the  first  President  Harrison,  Colo- 
nel Charles  A.  Wharfleld,  a  Mr.  Brotherton  and  several 
other  gentlemen  who  were  in  search  of  adventure,  werd 
with  Thomas  Fitzpatrick's  trappers.  They  had  appeared  at 
the  rendezvous  on  Green  River  that  year  and  followed  Fitz- 
patrick  through  the  W^ind  River  Valley,  down  the  Big  Wind 
River,  and  had  finally  reached  the  Big  Horn  Basin,  where 
they  were  all  captured  by  a  band  of  Crows.  Jim  Beck- 
wourth,  who  was  then  working  for  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, happened  to  be  with  the  Crow  party  who  made  the 
capture.  Fitzpatrick  appealed  to  Beckwourth  to  get  him- 
self and  friends  out  of  the  scrape.  Beckwourth  called  upon 
his  relatives,  Indians  related  to  him  by  marriage,  for  each 
warrior  to  mount  a  horse  and  take  a  prisoner  behind  him, 
while  he  gathered  up  the  horses  and  goods  belonging  to  the 
white  men.  Captives  according  to  the  laws  of  war  among 
Indians  are  safe  while  being  conducted  to  or  from  the  camp, 
and  a  captive  mounted  behind  a  warrior,  that  warrior  is 
directly  responsible  for  his  safe  keeping.  While  the  white 
captives  were  being  mounted.  Captain  Stuart  declared  he 
would  not  get  on  behind  a  murdering,  thieving,  red  rascal. 
Col.  Wharfield  and  Dr.  Harrison  told  the  English  blusterer 
that  he  was  using  very  unbecoming  language  and  that  he 
was  endangering  the  lives  of  the  whole  party  as  well  as  his 
own.  Thus  persuaded.  Captain  Stuart  meekly  mounted  be- 
hind an  Indian.  After  much  difficulty,  Beckwourth  secured 
all  the  property  belonging  to  the  white  men,  returned  it  to 
the  owners,  and  sent  an  escort  with  them  several  miles. 
The  party  once  out  of  the  Indian  village  remounted  their 
own  horses  and  went  on  their  way.  These  pleasure-seekers 
•during  that  same  season  visited  Captain  Bonneville  in  his 
camp  near  Solomon  River." 

I  have  explained  the  presence  of  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth  in 
Wyoming  during  the  spring  of  1832,  and  his  disappearance 
beyond  our  borders.  His  twenty-two  men  had  dwindled 
down  to  eleven,  yet  he  persisted  in  going  forward  to  fulfill 
the  dream  of  his  ambition;  that  is,  to  build  trading  posts  and 
«hip  to  Boston,  by  way  of  the  Columbia,  furs  and  salmon. 
-{13) 


194  History  of  Wyoming. 

Previous  to  his  leaving  Boston,  he  had  sent  a  ship  around 
Cape  Horn,  calculating  that  the  vessel  would  meet  him  on 
the  lower  Columbia  about  the  time  his  expedition  by  land 
should  reach  there.  Concerning  the  trials  and  tribulations 
of  Mr.  Wyeth  on  the  Pacific  coast,  my  history  has  nothing 
to  do.  He  remained  there  during  the  fall  and  winter  of 
1832  and  then  bent  his  steps  back  across  the  mountains  and 
appeared  at  Green  River,  having  failed  in  his  enterprise,  but 
like  the  true  New  Englander,  he  was  more  enthusiastic  than 
ever.  From  Green  River  he  went  in  convoy  of  Robert  Gamp- 
bell  and  Captain  Bonneville,  through  the  Wind  River  Val- 
ley, down  the  Big  Horn  River  to  the  Yellowstone,  and  after 
constructing  a  bull-boat  floated  down  the  Yellowstone  to 
the  Missouri — thence  back  to  St.  Louis  and  on  to  Boston  by 
the  usual  modes  of  conveyance.  He  had  failed,  but  that  did 
not  prevent  his  Boston  friends  furnishing  all  the  money 
he  needed  for  a  second  expedition.  Another  ship  was  fitted 
out,  well  loaded  with  merchandise  and  dispatched  to  the 
Columbia.  He  raised  200  men  and  started  by  land  to  make 
his  second  journey  up  the  Platte,  through  South  Pass, 
boldly  pushing  forward  to  Snake  River,  down  which  stream 
he  took  his  course.  Seventy-five  miles  below  Henry's  Fort 
he  stopped  to  build  his  first  post  in  the  interior.  This  post 
was  a  log  structure  with  ample  accommodations  for  the 
business  for  which  it  was  intended.  The  logs  were  squared 
with  a  broad-ax,  and  consequently  his  buildings  when  com- 
pleted presented  a  creditable  appearance.  He  named  the 
place  Fort  Hall  and  it  became  famous  as  the  years  went  by, 
first  as  a  fur-trading  establishment,  then  as  an  important 
station  on  the  old  overland  emigrant  and  stage  route,  and 
still  later  as  a  military  post ;  though  our  government  finally 
moved  Fort  Hall  a  few  miles  up  the  river.  Wyeth  built 
other  posts  and  pushed  his  business  with  true  Yankee  spirit 
and  persistence,  but  it  was  too  late  in  the  history  of  the 
fur  trade  for  it  to  be  a  success.  The  fur-bearing  animals 
were  fast  disappearing  from  the  streams,  and  besides  he 
had  to  encounter  a  well  organized  competition  of  the  power- 
ful Hudson  Bay  Company.    He  shipped  salmon  and  furSy 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  195 

but  his  vessels  were  only  half  loaded  and  consequently  there 
was  no  margin  for  profits,  and  after  pursuing  the  unprofita- 
ble business  several  years,  he  finally  sold  to  the  Pacific  Fur 
Company  all  his  posts,  merchandise,  vessels,  and  other  prop- 
erty, and  went  to  Boston  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  ice 
business,  in  which  calling  he  succeeded  in  amassing  a  for- 
tune. Had  Wyeth  come  west  a  few  years  earlier  and 
remained  in  the  mountains  he  would  have  fought  his  way 
to  the  front  and  made  fortune  and  reputation,  but  the  trou- 
ble was,  when  he  arrived  the  fur  business  was  already  on 
the  wane.  The  beaver,  otter  and  mink  were  growing  scarce 
in  the  mountain  streams,  and  there  was  no  room  for  a  new 
leader  in  the  fur  trade. 

James  Bridger  has  been  called  the  Daniel  Boone  of  the 
Rockies,  but  this  does  not  do  him  justice.  Boone  was  simply 
a  courageous  Indian  fighter,  a  hunter  of  renown  in  a  com- 
paratively level  country.  True,  though  there  were  dense 
forests  and  numerous  lurking  foes,  the  difficulties  in  no  way 
compared  with  those  Bridger  had  to  encounter.  He  and 
his  band  of  trappers  were  daily  exposed  in  open  ground.  The 
Indians  knew  their  whereabouts  at  all  times  because  the 
valleys  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  were  devoid  of  timber,  and 
through  these  the  streams  flowed  where  the  beaver  were 
to  be  found.  These  same  streams  came  out  of  rocky  recesses 
in  the  mountains,  covered  on  either  side  with  a  dense  growth 
of  cedar,  pine  and  other  timber,  where  the  savages  lurked  in 
ambush,  because  they  knew  the  hunters,  once  on  a  stream, 
would  follow  it  to  its  source.  Narrow  passes  led  from  one 
valley  to  another,  and  here  again  the  wild  men  of  the  moun- 
tains watched  to  hurl  a  shower  of  arrows  at  the  lonely  trap- 
pers, and  if  they  escaped  these  pitfalls  along  their  path, 
their  camp  at  night  was  surrounded  by  a  savage  horde 
awaiting  an  opportunity  to  deal  death  and  destruction  to 
the  tired  sleepers.  Trapping  grounds  lay  wide  apart  and  to 
go  from  one  to  another  required  long  marches,  every  mile  of 
the  way  exposed  to  dangers  seen  and  unseen.  The  country 
was  subject  to  seasons  of  intense  cold,  and  this  was  even 
more  dangerous  than  the  encounters  with  the  savages.    In 


igS  History  of  Wyoming. 

short,  Bridger's  life  was  one  of  constant  peril,  and  he  met 
all  with  a  courage  sublime;  therefore,  I  say,  Daniel  Boone, 
who  lives  in  hundreds  of  tales  of  the  border,  and  who  has 
been  made  many  times  a  hero  by  the  pen  which  tells  the 
story  of  border  life  in  border  days  so  eloquently,  never  was 
called  upon  to  suffer  the  privations  or  to  meet  the  dangers 
which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  hero  of  the  Rockies,  James 
Bridger. 

Born  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  March,  1804,  he  early  came 
to  St.  Louis  and  enlisted  in  one  of  General  Ashley's  brig- 
ades of  fur  trappers.  From  a  boy  he  was  an  expert  shot 
w^ith  the  rifle  and  soon  learned  woodcraft  and  the  art  of 
defending  himself  against  savage  beasts  and  at  times  equally 
savage  men.  Some  writers  claim  that  he  came  to  the  moun- 
tains in  1820.  That  would  make  him  but  sixteen  years  old. 
I  am  unable  to  trace  him  back  of  1822,  when  he  came  to 
Wyoming  with  Ashley's  trappers  on  their  first  trip  to  the 
A'ellowstone  and  Wind  River  country.  General  Ashley  soon 
noted  his  courage  and  fidelity,  and  Thomas  Fitzpatrick, 
who  was  many  years  his  senior,  clung  to  him  as  to  a  younger 
brother.  He  was  skillful  as  a  trapper,  and  the  Indians  soon 
learned  to  respect  his  unerring  aim  and  kept  themselves  at 
a  safe  distance  or  met  him  as  a  friend.  Of  all  the  white  men 
who  came  to  the  mountains,  none  learned  the  geography  of 
the  country  so  well  as  he.  Every  mountain  defile,  every 
principal  stream  and  all  its  tributaries  were  engraved  upon 
the  tablet  of  his  memory,  which  enabled  him  to  lead  his 
men  by  the  shortest  route  through  any  desired  locality.  In 
later  years  he  became  a  guide  to  the  army  and  often  aston- 
ished military  commanders  by  the  accuracy  of  his  know- 
ledge of  the  country  through  which  they  desired  to  pass. 
It  has  been  said  of  him  by  Generals  in  the  army  that  he 
could  either  name  any  stream  he  came  to  or  tell  in  an  instant 
of  what  it  was  a  tributary.  Not  only  was  he  familiar  with 
Wyoming,  but  possessed  a  topographical  knowledge  of  all 
parts  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Possessing  little  education 
drawn  from  books,  he  graduated  in  the  school  of  the  moun- 
tains.   His  knowledge  of  human  nature  was  beyond  that 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  igy 

acquired  by  the  majority  of  mankind,  and  he  read  the  hu- 
man face  of  the  white  man  or  the  savage  at  a  glance.  I  have 
no  occasion  to  write  his  life,  for  the  reason  that  his  name 
occurs  in  connection  with  many  events  which  are  detailed  m 
these  pages.  Fort  Bridger,  which  he  built,  and  Bridger 
Pass,  which  he  discovered,  are  his  monuments.  His  explora- 
tions in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  and  his  life  servicer 
in  Wyoming  are  all  related  in  their  proper  place. 

After  a  service  of  thirty-four  years,  he  went  east  in  1856 
and  purchased  a  valuable  and  improved  farm  at  Westport, 
now  a  suburb  of  Kansas  City,  on  which  he  intended  to  re- 
side the  remainder  of  his  days,  but  after  the  stirring  scenes 
in  the  wild  west  through  which  he  had  passed,  the  hum- 
drum of  farm  life  was  unendurable,  and  he  returned  to  the 
mountains,  locating  at  Fort  Laramie,  and  engaged  perma- 
nently with  the  government  as  a  guide  to  the  army,  which 
occupation  he  followed  until  his  advanced  years  compelled 
him  to  retire  to  his  farm,  where  he  died  July  17,  1881.  Jim 
Bridger,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  will  remain  for  all  time 
to  come  a  part  of  the  history  of  Wyoming.  He  lived  to  see 
it  develop  from  utter  darkness  to  the  noonday  of  civilization. 
In  appearance,  Bridger  was  a  typical  hunter,  tall,  slim,  with 
a  face  bronzed  by  exposure,  wearing  a  slouch  hat  and  ever 
accompanied  by  his  trusty  rifle. 

The  name  of  Kit  Carson  will  forever  be  associated  with 
the  early  events  in  Wyoming,  where  he  trapped  during  his 
young  manhood.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky,  December  24, 
1809.  In  1826,  when  a  mere  boy,  he  went  to  Santa  Fe,  New 
Mexico.  From  there  he  drifted  into  Old  Mexico  and  finally 
to  California.  From  this  place  he  came  to  Wyoming  and 
located  on  Green  River,  trapping  and  hunting.  He  early 
made  a  reputation  for  bravery  and  of  being  an  expert  shot 
with  the  rifle.  These  qualities  naturally  made  him  a  leader. 
In  1830  he  completed  a  tour  of  Wyoming,  trapping  in  nearly 
all  the  streams.  He  fought  Indians  and  trapped  with  Jim 
Bridger,  Jim  Baker,  O.  P.  Wiggins,  Thomas  Fitzpatrick 
and  numerous  other  noted  mountain  men.  The  Rocky 
Mountain  passes  were  familiar  to  him  from  one  end  to  the 


198  History  of  Wyoming. 

other.  Rev.  Samuel  Parker,  who  crossed  the  continent  in 
1835,  the  incidents  of  whose  journey  have  already  been 
given,  speaks  of  meeting  Jim  Bridger  at  the  Green  River 
rendezvous  in  the  month  of  August,  and  also  mentions  Car- 
son.   He  says: 

^'I  will  relate  an  occurrence  which  took  place  near  even- 
ing, as  a  specimen  of  mountain  life.  A  hunter  who  goes 
technically  by  the  name  of  the  great  bully  of  the  mountains, 
mounted  his  horse  with  a  loaded  rifle  and  challenged  any 
Frenchman,  American,  Spaniard,  or  Dutchman  to  fight  him 
in  single  combat.  Kit  Carson,  an  American,  told  him  if  he 
wished  to  die  he  would  accept  the  challenge.  Shunar  defied 
him.  Carson  mounted  his  horse,  and  wnth  a  loaded  pistol 
rushed  into  close  contact,  and  both  almost  at  the  same  in- 
stant fired.  Carson's  ball  entered  Shunar's  hand,  came  out 
at  the  wrist,  and  passed  through  the  arm  above  the  elbow. 
Shunar's  ball  passed  over  the  head  of  Carson,  and  while  he 
went  for  another  pistol  Shunar  begged  that  his  life  might 
be  spared." 

Carson's  home  was  at  Taos,  New  Mexico,  for  many 
years,  where  he  married  in  1843.  In  1842  he  accompanied 
Fremont  on  his  first  tour  of  exploration  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  the  two  from  that  time  forward  were  warm  per- 
sonal friends.  In  nearly  all  of  Fremont's  explorations  Car- 
son was  his  guide.  During  the  lifetime  of  this  noted  moun- 
tain man  he  held  many  positions  of  trust  and  was  ever  on 
the  move  in  the  varied  callings  in  which  he  was  engaged. 
He  fought  Indians  in  Colorado,  Wyoming,  New  Mexico  and 
other  territories.  In  1864  he  was  in  command  of  Fort 
Union,  New  Mexico,  and  in  1865  and  1866  commanded  Fort 
Garland,  Colorado.  In  1867  he  moved  from  Taos,  New 
Mexico,  to  Bent  County,  Colorado.  He  died  May  24,  1868. 
Frank  Hall,  the  author  of  the  history  of  Colorado,  was  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  Carson,  and  says  of  him:  "This 
man  was  a  rare  combination  of  dauntless  courage,  keen  pen- 
etration, true  nobility  of  mind  and  generous  impulse,  tem- 
pered with  discretion  and  sound  sense."  Of  his  personal 
appearance,  this  author  says:  "In  physical  mould  and  stat- 
ure he  was  not  unlike  the  great  Napoleon,  but  in  voice  and 
action  in  ordinary  life  the  personification  of  amiability  and 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  199 

retiring  modesty.  But  when  roused  by  great  events  por- 
tending danger  to  himself  or  others  who  for  the  time  being 
were  under  his  protection,  he  became  a  whirlwind  of  yenge- 
ance,  tempered  and  restrained  from  rashness  by  the  keenest 
sagacity  and  most  marvelous  generalship." 

Jedediah  S.  Smith,  after  trapping  in  Wyoming  in  the 
spring  of  1824,  led  his  party  west  down  the  Snake  River 
among  the  Flatheads.  They  wintered  at  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company's  post  and  in  the  spring  pushed  their  way  west- 
ward to  California.  He  trapped  in  that  country  and  was 
very  successful,  and  in  1828  started  north  for  the  Oregon 
country  with  nineteen  men.  He  had  with  him  a  long  train 
of  pack  mules  on  which  he  carried  $20,000  worth  of  furs. 
The  natives  along  the  route  home  seemed  friendly,  but  when 
he  reached  TJmpqua,  Oregon,  his  party  was  attacked  and  all 
were  killed  except  Smith,  Turner  and  a  man  named  Black, 
and  the  furs  stolen.  Smith  made  his  way  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  post  at  Fort  Vancouver,  where  he  informed 
Superintendent  McLoughlin  of  his  misfortune.  The  feeling 
at  that  time  against  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  its  offi- 
cers was  very  bitter  among  Americans,  and  yet  this  leader 
of  the  company  sent  out  an  expedition  to  recover  Smith's 
furs;  and  they  were  successfully  brought  into  the  post. 
When  Smith  returned  to  Green  River  that  fall  and  told 
Captain  Sublette  of  the  generous  treatment  he  had  received 
at  the  hands  of  McLoughlin,  they  agreed  between  them- 
selves that  they  would  withdraw  their  men  from  the  terri- 
tory of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  which  they  immediately 
proceeded  to  do.  Smith  was  a  man  of  great  courage,  able 
in  business  matters  and  generally  successful.  He  trapped 
in  1829  in  the  streams  on  both  sides  of  the  Wind  River 
Range.  In  September  he  headed  a  party  to  descend  the 
Green  and  Colorado  rivers,  and  while  he  was  successful  in 
securing  a  large  number  of  furs,  he  unfortunately  lost  them 
while  attempting  to  cross  the  Colorado  River.  In  1830  he 
withdrew  from  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  and  en- 
tered into  operations  further  south.  He  established  a  trad- 
ing post  at  Santa  Fe  and  started  in  to  do  a  large  business. 


200  History  of  Wyoming. 

By  agreement  with  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  they 
were  not  to  enter  his  territory,  and  he  on  his  part  agreed  not 
to  enter  theirs.  He  did  not  long  enjoy  the  business  in  this 
new  field,  as  he  was  killed  in  1831  by  a  band  of  savages  who 
attacked  his  train  at  some  point  on  the  the  Cimarron  River. 
He  was  one  of  the  best  men  ever  engaged  in  the  business 
and  his  death  was  deplored  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Godin,  a  Canadian  trapper  who  came  to  Wyoming  in 
1829,  was  for  some  years  with  Wyatt's  band,  and  while  un- 
der that  chieftain  participated  in  the  great  battle  with  the 
Blackfeet  at  Pierre's  Hole.  Old  trappers  tell  the  story  of 
the  fight  of  Godin  with  a  chief  of  the  Blackfeet  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  battle.  The  Indians  advanced  to  the  number  of 
400  to  attack  the  trappers.  Suddenly  a  tall,  well-built  chief, 
splendidly  mounted  and  arrayed  in  all  his  savage  finery, 
came  forward,  intimating  by  his  action  that  he  desired  to 
fight  any  or  all  the  trappers  single-handed.  It  was  a  feat  of 
reckless  daring  such  as  chiefs  who  desire  to  distinguish 
themselves  not  infrequently  resort  to.  Godin  saw  the  move- 
ment, and  being  well  mounted  and  armed  with  a  short  rifle, 
rode  forward  to  meet  the  chief.  They  approached  to  within 
a  few  yards  of  each  other  when  Godin  raised  his  rifle  and 
fired  at  his  adversary.  The  chief  was  instantly  killed  and 
Godin  rushed  forward  and  springing  to  the  ground  stripped 
a  scarlet  coat  from  the  dead  chieftain,  remounted  and  rode 
back  to  his  companions  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  savages. 
This  was  regarded  among  the  trappers  as  a  feat  showing 
great  bravery,  and  won  for  Godin  a  reputation  among  moun- 
tain men.  This  trapper  was  a  familiar  figure  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  for  many  years.  Washington  Irving  tells  this 
incident  in  quite  another  way,  as  will  be  discovered  in  the 
account  of  the  fight  at  Pierre's  Hole.  The  story  as  above 
related  is  told  by  old  trappers  of  Wyoming  who  were  there 
and  saw  the  encounter  between  Godin  and  the  Indian  chief, 
and  this  is  substantially  the  account  given  by  Bancroft. 

One  of  the  trappers  who  worked  under  Ashley  and  af- 
terwards under  Sublette  was  Thomas  L.  Smith.  In  a  year 
or  two  after  reaching  the  mountains  he  had  the  misfortune 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  201 

to  break  one  of  his  legs.  Jim  Cockrell,  another  trapper,  was 
with  him  at  the  time,  and  Smith  not  being  able  to  travel, 
the  two  went  into  camp  together.  The  leg  was  not  only- 
broken  but  badly  crushed,  the  bones  protruding  through  the 
flesh.  Smith  was  axious  to  have  Cockrell  amputate  his  leg, 
and  the  latter,  seeing  that  the  situation  was  desperate, 
agreed  to  undertake  the  surgical  operation.  They  chanced 
to  have  with  them  an  old-fashioned  three-cornered  file,  and 
with  this  Cockrell  made  a  saw  out  of  a  butcher  knife.  He 
cut  the  flesh  down  to  the  bone  with  a  hunting  knife,  then 
with  the  saw  cut  off  the  bone.  The  arteries  were  tied,and  the 
flow  of  blood  stopped.  The  operation  was  a  success  and 
before  many  weeks  Smith  was  able  to  ride  horse-back  and 
Cockrell  took  him  to  one  of  the  trading  posts  of  the  com- 
pany. This  trapper  Cockerell  was  an  uncle  of  the  present 
Senator  Cockerel  of  Missouri.  Smith  did  not  leave  the 
mountains,  but  soon  after  established  a  road  ranch  along 
what  became  a  few  years  later  the  Overland  Trail.  He  went 
east  as  soon  as  he  was  able  and  procured  a  wooden  leg  and 
became  known  after  this  as  "Pegleg  Smith."  He  was  one 
of  the  characters  during  the  days  of  the  Overland.  He  was 
kind-hearted  and  generous  to  a  fault,  but  somewhat  addicted 
to  drink.  In  1866  he  went  to  California,  and  while  there 
died. 

Bill  Williams,  or  "Parson  Williams,"  as  he  was  some- 
times called,  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  a  well-posted 
mountain  man,  and  was  considered  by  Kit  Carson  one  of  the 
bravest  men  in  the  mountains.  In  the  fall  of  1848  he  was 
engaged  by  Fremont  as  guide  to  his  fourth  expedition 
across  the  Eocky  Mountains.  The  command  started  from 
Bent's  Fort  with  thirty-three  men  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty-three  mules  with  forage  for  the  same.  They  went  up 
the  Arkansas  and  attempted  to  go  across  the  San  Juan 
Mountains,  which  had  always  been  known  to  be  inaccessi- 
ble even  in  summer.  They  plunged  about  in  the  snow, 
nearly  all  the  mules  were  lost,  eleven  of  the  men  either 
starved  or  were  frozen  to  death,  and  the  balance  barely  es- 
caped with  their  lives.    Williams  has  always  feeen  held  re- 


202  History  of  Wyoming. 

sponsible  for  the  disaster.  The  next  season,  with  a  small 
party,  he  went  back  over  the  trail  of  the  unfortunate  explor- 
ers to  pick  up  the  pack  saddles,  clothing  and  arms  strewn 
along  the  route.  While  on  this  service  Williams  and  all 
his  companions  were  killed  by  Indians.  During  the  thirties 
and  forties  this  guide  was  often  in  Wyoming.  I  have  met 
many  persons  intimately  acquainted  with  him,  and  have 
been  told  that  he  was  called  "Parson  Williams"  for  the  rea- 
son that  in  his  young  manhood  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher. 

Descoteaux  was  a  trapper  in  Wyoming  in  the  thirties 
and  was  regarded  as  a  man  of  great  personal  courage.  In 
1842  he  joined  Fremont's  expedition  at  Fort  Laramie  and 
accompanied  the  explorer  to  the  Wind  River  Mountains 
and  was  one  of  the  men  selected  to  ascend  Fremont's  Peak. 
He  remained  in  the  country  for  many  years,  trapping  and 
trading,  and  often  visited  St.  Louis  to  dispose  of  his  furs. 
On  one  of  these  trips  he  met  a  lad  in  that  city  who  appeared 
to  be  friendless  and  alone,  and  he  at  once  told  the  boy  that  if 
he  would  go  with  him  he  would  be  taken  care  of.  The  lad 
accepted  the  kind  offer  of  the  big-hearted  trapper  and  from 
that  day  the  two  became  inseparable.  Visiting  Wyoming 
shortly  after  this,  the  boy  came  along  and  thus  became 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  in  this  state.  This  lad  was  Tom 
Sun,  now  the  proprietor  of  a  large  ranch  at  Devil's  Gate,  on 
the  Sweetwater.  His  name  will  appear  in  a  number  of 
places  in  this  history  in  connection  with  important  events 
and  enterprises. 

Joseph  L.  Meek  was  a  Virginian  by  birth,  came  to  St. 
Louis  and  enlisted  under  Captain  Sublette  in  1828.  Robert 
Newell,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1810,  also  enlisted  with 
Sublette,  and  both  during  the  same  year  came  to  Wyo- 
ming and  served  many  years  as  trappers.  They  were  both 
reliable  men  and  served  under  Captain  Sublette  and  his 
brother  Milton;  also  Bridger,  Frapp,  Fitzpatrick  and  Jer- 
vais.  In  1840  these  trappers  went  to  Oregon  and  helped 
organize  that  commonwealth.  They  now  settled  down  as 
staid  members  of  society  and  became  useful  citizens  with  no 
desire  to  return  to  their  former  mountain  life. 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  203 

Peter  Gauthier  and  Paul  Ojet  were  Canadian  trappers 
who  came  to  Wyoming  in  the  early  thirties  and  worked 
for  the  American  Fur  Company  on  the  Big  Horn  and  Big 
Wind  Rivers  for  a  number  of  years.  After  the  American 
Fur  Company  purchased  Fort  Laramie,  these  two  trappers 
came  to  the  North  Platte  and  trapped  on  the  tributaries  of 
that  stream  for  nearly  eight  years.  The  two  were  great 
friends  and  were  always  found  together.  When  beaver 
grew  scarce,  they  determined  to  go  to  Oregon,  take  land, 
become  fanners,  and  settle  down.  In  1843  they  joined  a 
party  of  emigrants  and  became  Oregon  settlers,  married  in 
the  new  country  and  raised  families. 

In  1827  a  company  of  forty-five  men  with  a  hundred 
horses  came  into  Wyoming  by  the  Platte  and  Sweetwater 
route,  crossed  the  mountains  at  South  Pass  and  proceeded 
to  Green  River.  This  company  was  under  the  command  of 
Joshua  Pilcher  of  the  revived  Missouri  Fur  Company.  Pil- 
cher  employed  his  men  trapping  on  the  upper  waters  of 
Green  River  and  on  the  east  side  of  the  Wind  River  Range. 
He  wintered  high  up  on  Green  River  and  remained  in  that 
neighborhood  until  1829,  when  he  crossed  the  Snake  River 
and  went  over  into  the  Oregon  country,  where  he  lost  all 
the  furs  he  had  gathered  and  had  all  but  two  of  his  men 
killed  by  Indians. 

Jervais,  who  was  associated  in  1830  with  Milton  Sub- 
lette, Fitzpatrick  and  Frapp  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company,  was  one  of  the  remarkable  characters  in  the  fur 
trade.  He  was  one  of  the  Astorians  and  endured  much 
suffering  while  with  that  expedition  in  1811-12.  After  serv- 
ing may  years,  first  as  trapper,  then  as  trader,  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  he  finally  settled  on  Willamette  River,  in  Ore- 
gon, and  had  for  his  neighbors  Luciere  and  Deslard,  two 
other  trappers.  Luciere  was  one  of  the  Canadian  voyageurs 
who  came  out  with  Mr.  Hunt  in  1811. 

Peter  Skeens  Ogden,  better  known  as  Peter  Ogden,  was 
a  Hudson  Bay  Company  superintendent  and  a  popular  man 
among  the  early  trappers.  This  leader  was  in  Wyoming  a 
number  of  times  in  the  twenties  and  thirties.     He  was  a 


204  History  of  Wyoming. 

friend  of  General  Ashley  and  also  of  Captain  William  Sub- 
lette. Ogden  City  and  Ogden  River,  Utah,  are  named  after 
this  pioneer  fur  trader. 

William  Small,  who  went  out  with  Captain  Bonneville 
in  1832,  was  a  trapper  who  had  been  in  the  mountains  be- 
fore and  was  known  as  a  man  of  character  and  determina- 
tion. He  was  selected  to  go  with  Walker  on  his  expedition 
to  Salt  Lake  and  California  in  1833.  He  was  killed  on  Sep- 
tember 9th  of  that  year  by  Shoshone  Indians,  while  setting 
his  traps. 

Fontenelle,  who  served  many  years  in  Wyoming  as  a 
representative  of  the  American  Fur  Company  and  was  con- 
spicuous as  a  leader,  committed  suicide  in  1837.  Of  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  this  occurred  I  am  not  informed. 
Fontenelle  Creek,  a  tributary  of  Green  River,  was  named 
after  this  pioneer  fur  trader  and  trapper  of  Wyoming. 

Alexander  Godey  is  spoken  of  by  Fremont  as  a  peerless 
hunter  and  guide  and  is  called  by  the  explorer  a  formidable 
rival  of  Kit  Carson  in  courage  and  professional  skill.  He 
was  well  known  in  Wyoming  and  many  old  timers  even  to 
this  day  speak  of  him  as  a  mighty  hunter,  and  as  a  man  who 
was  never  lost  in  the  mountains. 

William  Sinclair  was  a  leader  of  free  trappers  who 
trapped  in  Wyoming  for  many  years  and  were  often  in  the 
employ  of  Captain  William  Sublette.  Sinclair  had  a  bro- 
ther, who  was  a  member  of  his  band,  to  whom  he  was 
greatly  attached.  They  were  both  brave  Indian  fighters  and 
successful  trappers. 

George  W.  Ebberts  became  prominent  as  a  trapper  in 
Wyoming  in  1829,  through  his  service  with  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Fur  Company.  He  was  a  Kentuckian  by  birth,  born  in 
1810.  Ebberts  trapped  in  Wyoming  eight  years,  then  went 
to  Oregon.  His  life  was  full  of  adventure  and  stirring  inci- 
dents. 

Tim  Goodale  was  a  noted  mountain  guide  and  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  Kit  Carson.  The  two  spent  much  time  trap- 
ping and  trading  in  Wyoming.  Goodale  was  well  known  at 
Fort  Laramie  during  the  fifties. 


Sketches  of  Trappers  and  Traders.  205 

Dripps,  a  partner  in  the  American  Fur  Company,  spent 
many  years  trading  and  trapping  in  Wyoming,  and  is  spoken 
of  by  all  trappers  as  a  successful  trader  and  a  brave  Indian 
fighter.  He  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  many  trapping 
and  trading  events  in  this  volume. 

George  Nidever,  a  leader  of  a  band  of  trappers,  who  in 
1831  crossed  from  the  North  Platte  to  Green  River,  where 
he  and  his  party  wintered.  In  the  spring  of  1832  he  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Pierre's  Hole  and  later  that  season 
trapped  southwest  of  Salt  Lake. 

Louis  Vasques  established  a  trading  post  on  Clear 
Creek,  in  Colorado,  and  from  that  point  sent  numerous  ex- 
peditions into  Wyoming  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with 
Indians  as  well  as  trapping.  He  is  sometimes  confounded 
with  Auguste  Vasquez. 

Matthieu  was  a  partisan  under  Captain  Bonneville  and 
possessed  the  confidence  of  his  great  leader.  He  returned 
to  the  states  with  Captain  Bonneville  but  soon  after  found 
his  way  back  to  the  mountains,  where  he  remained  for  a 
number  of  years. 

Tulleck  was  an  experienced  fur  trader  connected  with 
different  fur  companies,  but  more  particularly  with  the 
American.  During  the  thirties  he  commanded  a  post  of  that 
company  on  the  Yellowstone. 

Joseph  Pappen  was  a  well  known  trapper,  who  for  many 
years  was  on  the  North  Platte.  Later  he  was  engaged  in 
trade  along  the  Overland  Trail. 

Jennings,  LeRoy  and  Ross,  three  of  Captain  Bonne- 
ville's trappers,  were  killed  by  Bannock  Indians  in  the  win- 
ter of  1832-33. 


The  rendezvous  had  a  broad  meaning  with  the  early 
trappers;  not  only  was  it  the  place  to  which  they  carried 
their  furs  and  exchanged  them  for  all  sorts  of  commodities, 
such  as  clothing,  saddles,  bridles,  tobacco,  whisky,  bright 
dyes  for  coloring  the  trappings  for  their  horses,  vermilion 
powders,  extensively  used  for  winning  the  smiles  of  the  fair 
ones,  but  it  was  a  place  to  meet  traders  who  might  wish  to 


2o6  History  of  Wyoming. 

engage  their  services  for  the  coming  year.  They  also  met 
here  brother  trappers  from  the  various  sections  of  the  moun- 
tains, likewise  men  from  the  east  who  brought  news  of  what 
was  going  on  in  the  states  and  the  world.  They  had  here 
also  an  opportunity  to  drink  the  health  of  big-hearted  lead- 
ers whom  they  admired.  They  renewed  old  friendships  and 
made  new  ones,  participated  in  the  frivolities  of  the  ren- 
dezvous, mingled  with  savage  tribes,  learned  the  language 
of  the  Indians,  chose  a  sweetheart  from  among  the  native 
beauties,  who  came  to  the  rendezvous  to  find  some  one  to 
deck  them  in  finery  suited  to  their  peculiar  taste.  It  was 
indeed  a  place  noted  for  business,  pleasure,  mirth,  gambling 
and  brawls,  and  the  motley  collection  was  not  without  in- 
terest even  to  the  early  missionaries,  who  have  written  of 
the  things  they  saw  and  heard  at  this  great  annual  gather- 
ing. Along  about  1835,  religious  teachers  became  a  regular 
feature  at  the  rendezvous.  These  good  men,  in  their  trips 
across  the  continent,  remained  over  for  a  week  or  two  to 
rest  and  incidentally  do  a  little  missionary  work.  Rev. 
Samuel  Parker  made  a  number  of  religious  talks  to  white 
men  and  Indians  at  Green  River  in  1835,  and  after  that  all 
missionaries  who  went  out  made  it  a  point  to  preach  to  the 
trappers.  Father  De  Smet  made  a  number  of  his  winning 
and  pleasant  talks  in  1840  at  this  same  place.  I  hardly 
think,  however,  it  can  be  said  that  the  influence  of  the  mis- 
sionaries amounted  to  much  with  the  trappers.  They  gave 
a  respectful  hearing  to  all  such,  but  their  business  at  the 
rendezvous  was  for  everything  else  than  to  listen  to  religion 
or  even  morality,  and  yet  they  respected  that  class  of  men 
who  were  devoting  their  lives  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  207 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

OPENING  OF  FIRST  HIGHWAY. 
1835-1843. 
The  Missionaries,  Parker  and  Whitman,  Pass  Up  the  Platte,  Sweet- 
water, u  and  Reach  Green  River— Dr.  Whitman  Returns  to  the 
States — A  Romantic  Wedding  Tour — First  Two  White  Women 
IN  Wyoming — Remarkable  Fourth  of  July  Celebration  at  South 
Pass — Grand  Reception  Given  the  Pioneer  Women  at  Green 
River — Arrival  in„  Oregon — Perilous  Ride  of  Dr.  Whitman — 
Passes  Through  Wyoming  With  a  Thousand  Settlers — The  In- 
dian Massacre — The  Hero  of  Western  Civilization. 

We  have  been  passing  through  the  days  of  the  fur  trap- 
pers and  traders,  and  I  have  shown  in  the  preceding  pages 
the  experiences  of  these  men.  There  has  been  little  in  the 
story  to  remind  us  of  the  better  side  of  civilization.  God 
and  humanity  have  hardly  entered  into  the  conditions  which 
prevailed  in  a  territory  that  afterwards  became  Wyoming, 
but  in  the  year  1835,  Eeverend  Samuel  Parker  and  Dr.  Mar- 
cus Whitman  passed  up  the  Platte  River  in  company  with 
Fontenelle,  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  The  train 
was  a  large  one  and  it  was  taking  out  goods  for  the  Indian 
trade  and  recruits  for  trapping  service  in  Wyoming.  This 
party  proceeded  up  the  North  Platte,  which  stream  they 
reached  about  the  middle  of  July.  On  the  22nd  they  passed 
Chimney  Rock,  and  the  following  day  Scott's  Bluffs,  and  on 
the  26th  they  reached  the  mouth  of  Laramie  River  and 
camped  at  the  fort,  where  Fontenelle  remained,  Thomas 
Fitzpatrick  taking  his  place  in  charge  of  the  train.  On  the 
5th  of  August  they  reached  the  Sweetwater,  and  on  the  7th 
Independence  Rock,  and  pushed  on  up  the  river  and  camped 
one  night  above  the  Sweetwater  Canon,  somewhere  near 
the  spot  where  Lewiston  now  stands.  The  next  day  they 
continued  their  journey  westward  through  the  South  Pass 
and  reached  the  Newfork.    These  preachers  were  certainly 


2o8  History  of  Wyoming. 

observing  men,  as  they  noticed  the  geology  of  the  region 
through  which  they  passed.  They  commented  on  the  soda 
deposits,  and  Rev.  Parker  gives  a  description  of  the  Johns- 
town soda  lake,  which  he  calls  crystallized  Epsom  salts. 
On  the  12th  they  reached  Green  River,  the  rendezvous  of  the 
fur  traders  that  season.  They  found  there  about  200  white 
men,  mostly  trappers,  and  about  2,000  Indians.  These  God- 
ly men  were  making  observations  as  to  the  possibility  of 
benefiting  the  Indians  by  religious  teachings.  They  made 
up  their  minds  that  the  field  was  a  promising  one  and  de- 
termined that  Dr.  Whitman  should  return  to  the  states  and 
procure  additional  missionaries  to  come  west  and  spread 
the  gospel  among  the  red  men  of  the  mountains.  Accord- 
ingly, the  Doctor  returned  East  in  convoy  of  a  fur  train 
and  laid  before  the  board  of  foreign  missions  the  necessity 
for  religious  teachers  in  the  new  field.  Rev.  Parker  pur- 
sued his  journey  to  the  west  and  was  escorted  for  eight  days 
by  James  Bridger,  who  was  going  in  that  direction  with  a 
party  of  trappers.  Mr.  Parker,  after  leaving  Bridger,  was 
taken  in  charge  by  a  band  of  Indians  and  safely  conveyed 
down  the  Snake  River,  and  finally  reached  Walla  Walla. 
Dr.  Whitman,  on  his  return  trip,  brought  with  him  two 
young  Indians  of  the  Nez  Perces  tribe.  The  following  year, 
in  company  with  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  and  W.  H.  Gray  and 
two  young  women  and  the  two  Indian  boys.  Dr.  Whitman 
retraced  his  steps  to  the  west.  This  man  Marcus  Whitman 
was  a  remarkable  character  and  he  played  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  history  of  Oregon.  He  was  born  in  Russville, 
New  York,  September  4,  1802.  Receiving  a  good  education, 
he  studied  medicine  and  early  became  interested  in  religious 
matters.  He  was  appointed  a  medical  missionary  to  go  to 
Oregon.  Before  starting  out  on  his  second  trip  westward, 
he  married  Miss  Narcissa  Prentis,  the  daughter  of  Judge 
Prentis  of  Angelica,  New  York.  Rev.  Spalding  was  mar- 
ried about  the  same  time,  and  the  two  young  men  resolved 
to  take  their  brides  with  them  across  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
thus  making  it  a  wedding  tour.  They  went  by  the  way  of 
Council  Bluffs,  and  there  were  joined  by  Mr.  Gray,  who 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  209 

afterwards  became  the  historian  of  Oregon.  The  young 
brides  are  spoken  of  as  women  of  great  force  of  character. 
They  both  believed  that  they  would  be  of  great  service  to 
their  husbands  and  they  willingly  and  even  joyfully  under- 
took the  journey  through  the  wilderness  and  across  the 
mountains  where  never  a  white  woman  had  crossed  before. 
Mrs.  Whitman  had  enjoyed  the  reputation  in  her  native 
village  of  being  a  sweet  singer  and  the  journey  to  the  west 
was  enlivened  by  the  rich  melody  of  her  voice.  Dr.  Whit- 
man had  placed  the  two  Nez  Perces  boys  at  school  in  New 
York  during  the  winter  of  1835-36,  where  they  had  learned 
to  speak  English  and  had  seen  the  advantages  of  civiliza- 
tion. These  lads  were  taken  back  with  the  party.  At  Coun- 
cil Bluffs  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  friends  joined  a  caravan 
belonging  to  the  American  Fur  Company,  and  thus  the 
journey  westward  along  the  Platte  River,  the  North  Platte 
and  up  the  Sweetwater  was  made.  They  reached  the  South 
Pass  on  the  night  of  July  3rd,  1836.  The  following  morn- 
ing, the  Fourth  of  July,  the  fur  traders  pulled  out,  but  Dr. 
Whitman  and  his  wife,  Mr.  Spalding  and  wife,  Mr.  Gray 
and  the  two  Nez  Perces  boys  remained  behind  for  a  few 
hours  to  properly  celebrate  the  great  national  holiday. 
Their  patriotism  would  not  permit  them  to  pass  over  in 
silence  the  anniversary  of  American  independence.  They 
hardly  knew  how  to  proceed  with  the  celebration,  but 
finally  Dr.  W^hitman  took  from  their  wagon  a  national  flag 
and  a  Bible.  Spreading  a  blanket  on  the  ground,  he  placed 
the  Bible  upon  it  and  taking  the  flagstaff  in  his  hand  he  said, 
"Let  us  pray."  The  two  women  and  the  two  white  men 
kneeled  while  he  with  uplifted  voice  prayed  for  his  coun- 
try and  for  the  cause  of  Christ  in  Oregon,  and  he  then  and 
there  took  possession  of  the  territory  which  afterwards  be- 
came Wyoming,  and  the  country  beyond,  in  the  name  of 
God  and  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Whitman  led  in  a  patri- 
otic hymn,  in  which  the  company  joined  her.  After  the 
service  was  over  the  little  party  mounted  their  wagon, 
which  was  drawn  by  four  strong  horses,  and  followed  the 
fur  traders'  caravan.  Was  there  ever  before  or  since  such 
-{14) 


2IO  History  of  Wyoming. 

a  Fourth  of  July  celebration?  It  is  true  the  fireworks  were 
absent,  the  booming  of  cannon  did  not  disturb  the  silence 
which  at  that  time  prevailed  at  South  Pass,  but  the  spirit 
of  1776  was  present  in  that  patriotic  little  company.  As  I 
in  after  years  passed  over  that  divide  which  separates  the 
waters  which  flow  to  the  Atlantic,  the  Pacific  and  the  Gulf 
of  California,  I  thought  how  fortunate  it  would  be  if  the 
ground  whereon  that  celebration  was  held  could  have  been 
marked.  I  am  sure  if  the  good  women  of  our  state  knew  the 
spot,  they  would  erect  upon  it  a  monument  to  Mrs.  Whitman 
and  Mrs.  Spalding,  the  first  white  women  to  cross  the  State 
of  Wyoming  and  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

At  Green  River  Dr.  Whitman's  party  rested  for  ten 
days.  More  than  200  white  men  had  gathered  there  for  the 
annual  rendezvous,  besides  several  thousand  Indians.  The 
scene  was  not  different  to  the  one  Dr.  Whitman  and  the 
Rev.  Parker  had  witnessed  the  year  before,  but  the  arrival 
of  the  wedding  party  was  an  additional  incentive  to  the 
rugged  trappers  to  enjoy  themselves.  The  sight  of  two 
white  women  was  indeed  a  welcome  one  to  men  who  had 
for  years  lived  in  the  mountains.  They  extended  every 
courtesy  and  kindness  to  these  brave  young  wives,  who  had 
come  to  them  bearing  civilization  in  their  hands,  as  well  as 
sweet  womanly  ways,  to  the  mountains  and  plains.  The 
Indians,  not  to  be  outdone  by  the  white  men,  searched  the 
country  round  for  delicacies  for  the  white  squaws.  They 
brought  to  their  tents  the  mountain  trout,  as  well  as  venison 
and  elk  meat,  and  not  content  with  this,  the  warriors  put  on 
their  war  paint  and  to  the  number  of  600  mounted  their 
horses  and  riding  several  hundred  yards  off  on  the  prairie, 
wheeled  into  line  and  with  war-whoops  and  yells  rode 
down  upon  the  tents  occupied  by  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs. 
Spalding,  It  looked  very  much  as  if  the  tents  and  their 
occupants  were  to  be  trampled  to  the  earth  by  the  oncoming 
squadron,  but  fortunately  when  the  warriors  reached  a 
point  a  few  yards  from  the  tents  they  gracefully  wheeled  to 
the  right  and  left  and  passed  over  to  the  prairie  beyond. 
These  were  gallant  warriors  and  magnificent  riders,  and 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  2 1 1 

their  display  of  horsemanship  was  intended  as  the  highest 
compliment  they  could  pay  to  the  first  white  women  they 
had  ever  beheld.  It  cannot  be  said  that  the  two  ladies 
fully  appreciated  the  wild  charge  of  the  six  hundred;  they 
felt  the  earth  tremble  under  the  heavy  tread  of  the  horses, 
and  when  they  saw  them  bear  down  upon  their  tents,  for  the 
time  being,  at  least,  they  were  panic  stricken,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  clatter  of  hoofs  had  died  aw^ay  in  the  distance 
that  they  w^ere  restored  to  perfect  peace  of  mind.  The  In- 
dians got  up  war  dances  to  please  the  ladies,  and  while  they 
were  conducted  in  the  most  lavish  manner,  I  fear  that  these 
fair  women,  who  had  been  nurtured  in  Christian  and  cul- 
tured homes,  were  not  well  pleased  with  the  entertainments 
provided  by  the  savages. 

From  Green  River  they  pushed  forward.  After  encoun- 
tering many  dangers  and  overcoming  many  diflSculties,  they 
at  last  reached  their  destination,  Fort  Walla  Walla.  It 
will  be  understood  by  the  reader  that  this  was  no  ordinary 
journey.  The  distance  traveled  was  3,500  miles,  and  a 
greater  part  of  the  way,  two-thirds  of  the  distance,  was 
through  an  unsettled  country  and  much  of  it  inhabited  by 
savage  tribes.  They  forded  rivers,  climbed  steep  moun- 
tains, and  were  obliged  to  live  on  the  wild  meat  they  se- 
cured by  the  way.  There  was  no  sentiment  connected  with 
the  journey;  stern  duty  called  them  to  the  work  to  which 
they  had  devoted  their  lives,  and  they  bore  the  hardships 
without  a  murmur.  The  fur  trapper  had  introduced  into  the 
country  a  bravery  that  was  never  daunted,  but  the  Whitman 
party  brought  to  the  west,  patriotism  as  well  as  Christianity, 
and  these  were  to  bear  fruit  and  result  in  great  good  to  the 
millions  who  have  since  that  day  conquered  a  province  and 
founded  states  on  the  western  slope.  I  am  glad  that  I  am 
able  to  show  that  Marcus  and  Narcissa  Whitman  had  a 
share  in  bringing  civilization  to  our  state.  It  will  be  seen 
before  this  chapter  is  finished  that  Dr.  Whitman's  little 
party  was  the  entering  wedge  that  broke  savage  rule  and 
made  Wyoming  the  highway  on  which  was  borne  a  high 
type  of  civilization.    The  West  has  produced  many  charac- 


2 1 2  History  of  Wyoming. 

ters  who  deserve  a  conspicuous  place  in  history,  but  none 
of  them  are  more  worthy  of  praise  than  Dr.  Marcus  Whit- 
man. His  is  a  character  which  stands  out  in  bold  relief  on 
the  western  horizon.  Though  nominally  only  a  missionary 
doctor,  he  developed  statesmanship  of  the  first  order.  He 
makes  us  feel  that  there  is  high  honor  to  be  gained  in  pio- 
neer work.  At  this  time  Oregon  included  all  of  what  is  now 
Washington,  Oregon,  Idaho,  and  a  part  of  southwestern 
Wyoming;  therefore  whatever  befell  the  old  geographical 
division  known  as  Oregon  is  of  interest  in  an  accurate  his- 
tory of  our  state.  The  conditions,  at  that  time,  of  the  coun- 
try beyond  the  mountains,  in  part,  at  least,  apply  to  W^yo- 
ming. 

That  we  may  fully  understand  Dr.  Whitman's  third 
appearance  in  Wyoming,  I  will  relate  in  a  brief  manner 
what  happened  after  the  arrival  of  these  missionaries  on 
the  Pacific  border.  Oliver  W.  Nixon,  in  his  book,  "How 
Marcus  Whitman  Saved  Oregon,"  tells  in  a  charming  way 
the  story  of  the  new  home  of  the  Whitmans.     He  says: 

"Picture  that  little  missionary  band  as  they  stood  to- 
gether in  Fort  Walla  Walla  in  September,1836,and  consulted 
about  the  great  problems  to  solve..  It  was  all  new.  There 
were  no  precedents  to  guide  them.  They  easily  understood 
that  the  first  thing  to  do  was  to  consult  the  ruling  powers  of 
Oregon — the  Hudson  Bay  Company  officials  at  Fort  Van- 
couver. This  would  require  another  journey  of  300  miles, 
but  as  it  could  be  made  in  boats  and  the  Indians  were  capi- 
tal oarsmen,  they  resolved  to  take  their  wives  with  them, 
and  thus  complete  the  wedding  journey.  The  gallant  Dr. 
McLoughlin,  Chief  Factor  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
w^as  a  keen  judge  of  human  nature,  and  read  men  and  wo- 
men as  scholars  read  books,  and  he  was  captivated  with  the 
open,  manly  ways  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  the  womanly  accom- 
plishments of  his  fair  young  wife,  who  had  braved  the  perils 
of  an  overland  journey  with  wholly  unselfish  purposes. 
Whitman  soon  developed  to  Dr.  McLoughlin  all  his  plana 
and  his  hopes.  Perhaps  there  was  a  professional  freema- 
sonry between  the  men  that  brought  them  closer  together, 
but  by  nature  they  were  both  men  endowed  richly  with  the 
best  manly  characters.  Dr.  McLoughlin  resolved  to  do  the 
best  thing  possible  for  them,  while  he  still  protected  the 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  2 1 3 

interests  of  his  great  monopoly.  Dr.  Whitman's  idea  was 
to  build  one  mission  at  the  Dalles,  so  as  to  be  convenient  to 
shipping;  McLoughlin  at  once  saw  it  would  not  do.  He  had 
already  pushed  the  Methodist  mission  far  up  the  Willam- 
ette, out  of  the  way  of  the  fort  and  its  work,  and  argued  with 
Whitman  that  it  would  be  best  for  him  to  go  to  the  Walla 
Walla  country,  three  hundred  miles  away,  and  Spalding 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  farther  on. 

"He  argued  that  the  river  Indians  were  far  less  hopeful 
subjects  to  deal  with,  and  that  the  bunch-grass  Indians,  the 
Cayuse  and  Nez  Perces,  had  expressed  a  great  anxiety  for 
the  teachers.  This  arrangement  had  been  partially  agreed 
to  by  Mr.  Parker  the  year  before.  After  a  full  canvass  of 
the  entire  subject.  Dr.  McLoughlin  promised  all  the  aid  in 
his  power  to  give  them  a  comfortable  start. 

"At  his  earnest  petition,  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs.  Spal- 
ding remained  at  Vancouver  while  their  husbands  went 
back  to  erect  houses  that  would  shelter  them  from  the  com- 
ing winter.  To  make  Mrs.  Whitman  feel  at  ease,  and  that 
she  was  not  taxing  the  generosity  of  her  new  friends,  Dr. 
McLoughlin  placed  his  daughter  under  her  instruction,  both 
in  her  class  work  and  music.  Every  effort  was  made  to  in- 
terest and  entertain  the  guests;  the  afternoons  were  given 
to  excursions  on  the  water  or  on  horseback,  or  in  rambles 
through  the  great  fir  forests,  still  as  wild  as  nature  made 
them. 

"There  is  a  grandeur  in  the  great  forest  beyond  the 
stony  mountains  unequaled  elsewhere.  In  our  northern 
latitudes  the  undergrowth  is  so  thick  as  to  make  comforta- 
ble traveling  impossible,  but  in  the  fir  woods,  and  in  the 
pine  and  redwood  forests  of  Oregon,  there  are  comparatively 
few  of  such  obstructions.  The  great  giants  ten  or  twelve 
feet  in  diameter,  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high,  and 
one  hundred  feet  without  a  limb,  hide  the  sun,  and  upon  a 
summer  day  make  jaunts  through  the  forest  delightful  to 
a  lover  of  nature. 

"It  was  a  grand  rest  and  a  pleasing  finale  to  the  hard- 
ships of  the  wedding  journey  for  these  heroic  women,  and 
Mrs.  Whitman,  in  her  diary,  never  a  day  neglects  to  remem- 
ber her  kind  benefactors.  They  rested  here  for  about  one 
and  a  half  months,  when  Mr.  Spalding  came  after  them  and 
reported  the  houses  so  far  advanced  as  to  give  them  shel- 
ter." 

I  must  not  linger  to  tell  the  whole  story  of  Dr.  Whit- 
man's life  in  far-off  Oregon.     Suffice  it  to  sav  that  Mrs. 


214  History  of  Wyoming. 

Whitman  reached  her  new  abode  on  December  26,  1836. 
They  remained  there  working  to  better  the  condition  of  the 
savages;  Mrs.  Whitman  teaching  the  Indian  school,  and  the 
doctor  looking  after  the  sick,  not  only  among  the  Indians, 
but  among  the  white  people  connected  with  the  trading 
posts  and  missions,  and  thus  matters  drifted  on. 

In  1838,  two  years  after  the  Whitman  party  passed 
through  Wyoming,  another  band  of  missionaries  went  over 
the  same  trail.  There  were  nine  persons  in  all,  some  of  them 
being  wives  of  the  missionaries,  and  these  were  followed  by 
others  in  1839,  but  none  had  wagons.  In  1840  some  mission- 
ary ladies,  Mrs.  Littlejohn,  Mrs.  Clark  and  Mrs.  Smith,  fol- 
lowed the  North  Platte  and  Sweetwater  west.  These 
ladies  were  accompanied  by  their  husbands,  and  also  by  Mr, 
and  Mrs.  Walker.  The  latter  were  not  missionaries,  but 
settlers  intending  to  locate  in  Oregon.  In, the  year  1841 
several  more  under  the  direction  of  General  Palmer  passed 
over  the  road  on  their  way  to  Oregon.  These  people  were 
well  outfitted  and  employed  wagons.  In  1842,  a  party  made 
up  of  twenty-one  protestant  ministers,  three  Roman  Catho- 
lic priests,  thirty-four  white  women,  thirty-two  white  chil- 
dren and  thirty-five  American  settlers,  in  charge  of  Elijah 
White,  used  this  highway  and  reached  their  destination, 
Oregon,  safely.  By  this  time  the  road  up  the  North  Platte, 
the  Sweetwater,  and  across  the  meadows  of  the  Green  River 
Valley  had  become  well  marked  by  wagons,  but  the  past 
was  nothing  when  compared  with  what  was  to  come. 

Elijah  White  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability  and 
force  of  character,  all  of  which  he  needed  to  insure  the 
safety  of  so  large  a  party.  At  Independence  Rock,  on  the 
Sweetwater,  he  was  met  by  a  large  number  of  Sioux  Indians 
and  ordered  back,  and  the  information  was  given  him  that 
the  Indians  would  no  longer  permit  their  country  to  be  in- 
vaded by  white  men.  Mr.  White  was  a  diplomat  of  the  first 
water,  and  he  proceeded  to  deal  with  the  situation  that  con- 
fronted him  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a  great  leader.  He  drew 
from  the  painted  savages  their  grievance  against  white  men 
and  the  reason  for  thus  prohibiting  his  journey  further 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  215 

west.  He  was  informed  that  the  trappers,  who  were  then 
numerous  in  the  country,  had  killed  a  number  of  Indians 
and  in  consequence  of  this  there  had  been  a  meeting  of  sev- 
eral tribes  and  the  edict  had  gone  forth  not  only  that  no 
more  white  men  would  be  allowed  to  come  into  the  country, 
but  those  already  there  would  be  pursued,  driven  out,  or 
killed.  Mr.  White  told  them  that  his  party  were  not  trap- 
pers or  traders,  but  were  farmers  on  their  way  to  their 
homes  on  the  Columbia,  and  that  they  did  not  propose  to 
return.  The  party,  he  said,  were  friendly  to  the  Indians 
and  recognized  the  fact  that  they  had  the  right  to  prohibit 
them  from  passing  through  their  country,  but  he  hoped  the 
Indians  would  allow  them  to  pursue  their  journey,  that  they 
might  reach  the  Columbia  before  winter  set  in.  He  then 
distributed  among  them  such  merchandise  as  he  could  spare, 
after  which  he  was  told  to  go  his  way  in  peace  but  to  never 
again  invade  their  country.  Fremont  says  that  Fitzpatrick 
saved  the  party.  With  White's  company  was  General 
Amos  L.  Love  joy,  a  man  of  character  and  ability.  When 
General  Lovejoy  and  Dr.  Whitman  met,  of  course  it  was 
natural  that  they  should  talk  over  the  conditions  prevailing 
east,  and  national  affairs.  Lovejoy  showed  himself  thor- 
oughly posted,  and  Dr.  Whitman  learned  from  him  that  the 
Ashburton  treaty  would  come  before  Congress  during  the 
winter,  and  in  all  probability  this  treaty  would  receive  final 
action  before  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  March  4,  1843. 
Oregon,  under  the  treaty  with  England  in  1818  and  again  in 
1828,  was  left  open  to  the  free  use  of  either  party,  the  words 
of  the  treaty  being: 

'*It  is  agreed  that  any  country  that  may  be  claimed  by 
either  party  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America,  westward 
of  the  Stony  Mountains,  shall,  together  with  its  harbors, 
bays,  creeks,  and  navigation  of  all  rivers  within  the  same, 
be  free  and  open  for  ten  years  from  the  date  of  the  signature 
of  the  present  convention,  to  the  vessels,  citizens  and  sub- 
jects of  the  two  powers;  it  being  well  understood  that  the 
agreement  is  not  to  be  construed  to  the  prejudice  of  any 
claim  which  either  of  the  two  high  contracting  parties  may 
have  to  any  part  of  said  country;  the  only  object  of  the  high 


2i6  History  of  Wyoming. 

contracting  parties  in  that  respect  being  to  prevent  disputes 
and  differences  among  themselves." 

This  was  simply  a  joint  occupancy  to  be  settled  by  those 
who  should  in  after  years  become  occupants  of  the  territory. 
As  the  case  stood,  the  English  had  the  best  of  it,  as  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  assumed  the  control  of  Oregon  and 
all  its  affairs.  The  American  fur  traders  invaded  the  terri- 
tory, but  they  were  rudely  treated  by  representatives  of  the 
great  British  monopoly.  Year  by  year  it  was  understood 
that  every  Englishman  in  the  country  was  working  to  in- 
duce people  of  his  own  nationality  to  come  to  the  terri- 
tory. American  missionaries  who  were  on  the  spot  saw 
clearly  the  trend  of  affairs  and  realized  that  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  was  working  in  the  interest  of  England.  Dr. 
Whitman  had  talked  the  matter  over  with  Dr.  Eells,  Rev. 
Spalding,  Jason  Lee  and  General  Lovejoy,  and  all  of  them 
had  agreed  that  the  one  practical  thing  to  be  done  was  to 
lead  into  the  country  a  large  number  of  American  settlers. 

Our  government  had  for  many  years  neglected  Oregon. 
It  was  a  part  of  the  Louisiana  purchase,  but  as  England 
made  the  claim  that  the  Spanish  title  had  become  extinct 
by  the  Nootka  treaty  of  1790,  the  English  claim  being  that 
Captain  Vancouver,  the  commander  of  a  British  vessel, 
had  discovered  the  Columbia,  and  yet  notwitstanding  this 
fact  it  was  in  evidence  that  Captain  Gray  had  discovered 
the  mouth  of  the  river  and  had  given  the  information  of  its 
whereabouts  to  Captain  Vancouver.  The  whole  of  the  mat- 
ter is  that  the  United  States  cared  little  about  Oregon,  as 
it  was  supposed  to  be  a  barren  waste.  As  late  as  1842  a 
proposition  had  been  made  to  trade  Oregon  for  the  mackerel 
and  cod  fisheries  of  Newfoundland,  and  this  report  reaching 
Whitman,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  at  once  cross  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  see  President  Tyler  and  Secretary  of  State 
Webster.  Winter  had  fairly  commenced;  snow  was  many 
feet  deep  in  the  mountains.  It  was  all  that  any  ordinary 
man  could  do  to  cross  the  wilderness  and  plains  In  the  sum- 
mer season,  but  Dr.  Whitman  was  no  ordinary  man.  He 
talked  the  proposed  journey  over  with  Mrs.  Whitman  and 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  217 

explained  to  her  the  necessity  of  his  arriving  in  Washington 
before  the  adjournment  of  Congress.  He  said  that  Oregon 
must  be  saved  to  the  United  States,  and  that  he  believed  it 
was  his  duty  to  make  this  journey,  in  fact  to  undergo  any 
hardship,  that  his  countrymen  might  be  benefited.  Mrs. 
Whitman  was  not  only  the  wife  of  a  missionary,  but  a  loyal 
American  woman.  She  was  not  ignorant  of  the  danger  of 
crossing  the  mountains  in  the  winter,  but  she  felt  that  her 
country  required  the  sacrifice  and  that  God  would  protect 
her  husband  on  his  mission  of  humanity.  Under  the  rules 
of  the  missionary  board,  the  members  of  the  local  mission 
had  to  be  consulted  and  their  consent  obtained  before  a 
missionary  could  leave  his  post.  Runners  were  sent  out  at 
once  to  the  different  stations  with  a  demand  for  their  im- 
mediate presence.  They  came,  and  without  a  dissenting 
voice  all  agreed  that  the  subject  was  of  great  importance, 
but  they  doubted  the  wisdom  of  undertaking  such  a  journey 
across  the  mountains  at  that  season  of  the  year.  Dr.  Whit- 
man assured  them  that  it  was  not  only  possible  to  do  it, 
but  that  he  was  ready  and  willing  to  undertake  the  great 
journey  regardless  of  what  might  happen  him.  Just  here 
a  new  difficulty  was  encountered.  Not  only  must  the  local 
missionaries  approve  of  the  application  for  leave  of  absence, 
but  the  Home  Mission  in  Boston  must  give  its  consent.  This 
was  out  of  the  question,  as  there  was  no  time  for  such  neces- 
sary delay.  Dr.  Whitman  said  his  service  in  the  missionary 
cause  did  not  prevent  him  from  serving  his  country,  and 
that  he  would  go  even  though  the  missionary  board  dis- 
missed him  for  being  absent  from  his  post.  When  it  was 
finally  settled  that  he  should  start,  his  associates  said  that 
some  one  must  be  found  to  accompany  him.  It  was  impor- 
tant  that  this  person  should  be  a  man  of  great  courage  and 
endurance.  General  Lovejoy,  who  had  been  taken  into  the 
conference,  was  asked  if  he  would  go,  and  he  promptly  re- 
plied, "I  will  accompany  Dr.  Whitman."  Two  days  later 
they  were  ready  for  the  journey.  They  reached  Fort  Hall 
without  delay  or  accident,  but  there  the  snows  on  the  route 
were  reported  twenty  feet  deep,  and  so  they  veered  to  the 


21 8  History  of  Wyoming. 

south  and  added  a  thousand  miles  to  the  journey,  passing 
near  what  is  now  Salt  Lake  and  finally  coming  out  at  Santa 
Fe,  New  Mexico.  From  there  they  took  the  Santa  Fe  trail 
and  finally  reached  St.  Louis.  Such  a  journey  was  perhaps 
never  before  undertaken  and  successfully  accomplished.  As 
late  as  1876  General  Lovejoy  told  the  story  of  this  remark- 
able trip.    He  says : 

"I  was  the  doctor's  traveling  companion  in  that  ardu- 
ous and  trying  journey,  but  it  would  take  volumes  to  de- 
scribe the  many  thrilling  scenes  and  dangerous  hair-breadth 
escapes  we  passed  through,  traveling,  as  we  did,  almost  the 
entire  route  through  a  hostile  Indian  country,  and  enduring 
much  suffering  from  the  intense  cold  and  snow  we  had  to 
encounter  in  passing  over  the  Eocky  Mountains  in  midwin- 
ter. I  crossed  the  plains  in  company  with  Dr.  White  and 
others,  arriving  at  Waiilatpui  the  last  of  September, 
1842.  My  party  encamped  some  two  miles  below  Dr.  Whit- 
man's place.  The  day  after  our  arrival  he  called  at 
our  camp  and  asked  me  to  accompany  him  to  his  house, 
as  he  wished  me  to  draw  up  a  memorial  to  Congress  to  pro- 
hibit the  sale  of  ardent  spirits  in  this  country.  The  doctor 
was  alive  to  the  interests  of  this  coast,  and  manifested  a 
very  warm  desire  to  have  it  properly  represented  at  Wash- 
ington, and  after  numerous  conversations  with  the  doctor 
touching  the  future  prosperity  of  Oregon,  he  asked  me  one 
day  in  a  very  anxious  manner  if  I  thought  it  would  be  possi- 
ble for  him  to  cross  the  mountains  at  that  time  of  the  year. 
I  told  him  I  thought  he  could.  He  next  asked,  'Will  you  ac- 
company me?'  After  a  little  reflection  I  said  1  would.  His 
arrangements  were  rapidly  made.  Through  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  McKinley,  then  stationed  at  Walla  Walla,  Mrs.  Whit- 
man was  provided  with  suitable  escorts  to  the  Willamette 
Valley,  where  she  was  to  remain  with  her  missionary  friends 
until  the  doctor's  return.  We  left  Waiilatpui  October  3, 
1842,  traveled  rapidly,  reached  Fort  Hall  in  eleven  days, 
remained  two  days  to  recruit  and  make  a  few  purchases. 
The  doctor  engaged  a  guide  and  we  left  for  Fort  Uintah. 
We  changed  the  direct  route  to  one  more  southern,  through 
the  Spanish  country  via  Salt  Lake,  Taos  and  Santa  Fe.  On 
our  way  from  Fort  Hall  to  Fort  Uintah  we  had  terribly 
severe  weather.  The  snows  retarded  our  progress  and 
blinded  the  trail,  so  we  lost  much  time.  After  arriving  at 
Fort  Uintah  and  making  some  purchases  for  our  trip,  we 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  219 

took  a  new  guide  and  started  for  Fort  Uncompahgra,  sit- 
uated on  the  waters  of  Grand  River,  in  the  Spanish  country. 
(Here  our  stay  was  very  short. 

''We  took  a  new  guide  and  started  for  Taos,  After  be- 
ing out  some  four  or  five  days  we  encountered  a  terrible 
snow  storm,  which  forced  us  to  seek  shelter  in  a  deep  ravine, 
where  we  remained  snowed  in  four  days,  at  v/hieh  time  the 
storm  had  somewhat  abated,  and  we  attemped  to  make  our 
way  out  upon  the  high  lands,  but  the  snow  v-  as  so  deep  and 
the  winds  so  piercing  and  cold  we  were  compelled  to  return 
to  camp  and  wait  a  few  days  for  a  change  of  weather. 

"Our  next  effort  to  reach  the  high  lands  was  more  suc- 
cessful; but  after  spending  several  days  wandering  around 
in  the  snow  without  making  much  headway,  our  i,'uide  told 
us  that  the  deep  snow  had  so  changed  the  face  of  the  (!0un- 
try  that  he  was  completely  lost  and  could  take  us  no  farther. 
This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  doctor,  but  he  was  deter- 
mined not  to  give  it  up  without  another  effort.  We  at  once 
agreed  that  he  should  take  the  guide  and  return  to 
Fort  Uncompahgra  and  get  a  new  guide,  and  I  remain  in 
camp  with  the  animals  until  he  could  return;  which  he  did 
in  seven  days  with  our  new  guide,  and  we  were  now  on  our 
route  again.  Nothing  of  much  importance  occurred  but 
hard  and  slow  traveling  through  deep  snow  until  we  reached 
Grand  River,  which  w^as  frozen  on  either  side  about  one- 
third  across.  Although  so  intensely  cold,  the  current  was 
so  very  rapid,  about  one-third  of  the  river  in  the  center  was 
not  frozen.  Our  guide  thought  it  would  be  dangerous  to 
attempt  to  cross  the  river  in  its  present  condition,  but  the 
doctor,  nothing  daunted,  was  the  first  to  take  the  water. 
He  mounted  his  horse  and  the  guide  and  myself  shoved  the 
doctor  and  his  animal  off  the  ice  into  the  foaming  stream. 
Away  he  went,  completely  under  water,  horse  and  all,  but 
directly  came  up  and  after  buffeting  the  rapid,  foaming 
current,  he  reached  the  ice  on  the  opposite  shore,  a  long  way 
down  the  stream.  He  leaped  from  his  horse  upon  the  ice  and 
soon  had  his  noble  animal  by  his  side.  The  guide  and  myself 
forced  in  the  pack  animals  and  followed  the  doctor's  exam- 
ple and  were  soon  on  the  opposite  shore  drying  our  frozen 
clothes  by  a  comfortable  fire.  We  reached  Taos  in  about 
thirty  days,  suffering  greatly  from  cold  and  scarcity  of  pro- 
visions. We  were  compelled  to  use  mule  meat,  dogs  and 
such  other  animals  as  came  in  our  reach.  We  remained  at 
Taos  a  few  days  only  and  started  for  Bent's  and  Savery's 
Fort  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Arkansas  River.    When  we 


220  History  of  Wyoming. 

had  been  out  some  fifteen  or  twenty  days  we  met  George 
Bent,  a  brother  of  Governor  Bent,  on  his  way  to  Taos.  He 
told  us  that  a  party  of  mountain  men  would  leave  Bent's 
Fort  in  a  few  days  for  St.  Louis,  but  said  we  would  not  reach 
the  fort  with  our  pack  animals  in  time  to  join  the  party. 
The  doctor,  being  very  anxious  to  join  the  party  so  he  could 
push  on  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  Washington,  concluded  to 
leave  myself  and  guide  with  the  animals,  and  he  himself, 
taking  the  best  animal  with  some  bedding  and  a  small  al- 
lowance of  provisions,  started  alone,  hoping  by  rapid  travel 
to  reach  the  fort  in  time  to  join  the  St.  Louis  party,  but  to  do 
so  he  would  have  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath,  something  we 
had  not  done  before.  Myself  and  guide  traveled  on  slowly 
and  reached  the  fort  in  four  days,  but  imagine  our  astonish- 
ment when  on  making  inquiry  about  the  doctor,  we  were 
told  that  he  had  not  arrived,  nor  had  he  been  heard  of. 

"I  learned  that  the  party  for  St.  Louis  was  camped  at 
the  Big  Cottonwood,  forty  miles  from  the  fort,  and  at  my 
request,  Mr.  Savery  sent  an  express  telling  the  party  not  to 
proceed  any  farther  until  we  learned  something  of  Dr. 
Whitman's  whereabouts,  as  he  wished  to  accompany  them 
to  St.  Louis.  Being  furnished  by  the  gentlemen  of  the  fort 
with  a  suitable  guide,  I  started  in  search  of  the  doctor  and 
traveled  up  the  river  about  one  hundred  miles.  I  learned 
from  the  Indians  that  a  man  had  been  there  who  was  lost 
and  was  trying  to  find  Bent's  Fort.  They  said  they  had  di- 
rected him  to  go  down  the  river,  and  how  to  find  the  fort. 
I  knew  from  their  description  it  was  the  doctor.  I  returned 
to  the  fort  as  rapidly  as  possible,  but  the  doctor  had  not 
arrived.    We  had  all  become  very  anxious  about  him. 

"Late  in  the  afternoon  he  came  in,  very  much  fatigued 
and  desponding;  said  he  knew  that  God  had  bewiMered 
him  to  punish  him  for  traveling  on  the  Sabbath.  During 
the  whole  trip  he  was  very  regular  in  his  morning  and  even, 
ing  devotions,  and  that  was  the  only  time  I  ever  knew  him 
to  travel  on  the  Sabbath.  The  doctor  remained  all  night  at 
the  fort,  starting  early  on  the  following  morning  to  join  the 
St.  Louis  party.  Here  we  parted.  Dr.  Whitman  proceeded 
to  Washington.  I  remained  at  Bent's  Fort  until  spring  and 
joined  the  doctor  the  following  July,  near  Fort  Laramie, 
on  his  way  to  Oregon  in  company  with  a  train  of  emigrants. 
He  often  expressed  himself  to  me  about  the  remainder  of 
his  journey  and  the  manner  in  which  he  was  received  at 
Washington  and  by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  at  Bos- 
ton.    He  had  several  interviews  with  President  Tyler,  Sec- 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  221 

retary  Webster  and  a  good  many  members  of  Congress, 
which  was  in  session  at  that  time.  He  urged  the  imme- 
diate termination  of  the  treaty  with  Great  Britain  rela- 
tive to  this  country,  and  begged  them  to  extend  the  laws 
of  the  United  States  over  Oregon,  and  asked  for  liberal  in- 
ducements to  emigrants  to  come  to  this  coast.  He  was  very 
cordially  and  kindly  received  by  the  President  and  mem- 
bers of  Congress,  and  without  doubt  all  these  interviews 
resulted  greatly  to  the  benefit  of  Oregon  and  to  this  coast. 
But  his  reception  at  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  was  not 
so  cordial.  The  board  was  inclined  to  censure  him  for  leav- 
ing his  post.  The  doctor  came  to  the  frontier  settlement, 
urging  the  citizens  to  emigrate  to  the  Pacific.  He  left  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri,  in  the  month  of  May,  1843,  with  an 
emigrant  train  of  about  one  thousand  souls  for  Oregon. 
With  his  energy  and  knowledge  of  the  country,  he  rendered 
them  great  assistance  in  fording  the  many  dangerous  and 
rapid  streams  they  had  to  cross,  and  in  finding  a  wagon  road 
through  many  of  the  narrow,  rugged  passes  of  the  moun- 
tains. He  arrived  at  Waiilatpui  about  one  year  from  the 
time  he  left,  to  find  his  home  sadly  dilapidated,  his  flouring 
mill  burned.  The  Indians  were  very  hostile  to  the  doctor  for 
leaving  them,  and  without  doubt,  owing  to  his  absence,  the 
seeds  of  assassination  were  sown  by  these  haughty  Cayuse 
Indians  which  resulted  in  his  and  Mrs.  W^hitman's  death, 
with  many  others,  although  it  did  not  take  place  until  four 
years  later." 

General  Lovejoy  leaves  little  to  tell  except  in  regard  to 
the  journey  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  one  thousand  men,  women 
and  children  making  their  way  over  the  trail  which  had 
now  become  familiar  to  him.  This  was  the  first  great  train 
to  wend  its  way  westward  and  leave  behind  a  broad  highway 
over  which  Oregon,  Utah  and  California  were  to  be  popu- 
lated. The  Sublettes  had  penetrated  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Popo  Agie  with  wagons  in  1829,  and  Captain  Bonneville 
reached  the  Green  Eiver  with  his  wagons  in  1832,  and  Fre- 
mont had  taken  his  wagon  trains  as  far  as  the  South  Pass 
in  1842,  but  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  outstripped  them  all  on 
his  wedding  journey  in  1836,  when  he  carried  his  bride  in  a 
wagon  across  the  continent.  That  historic  wagon  should 
have  been  preserved  for  all  time,  for  its  track  across  the 
mountains  marked  the  road  which  Elijah  White  and  his  one 


222  History  of  Wyoming. 

hundred  and  twenty  followers  took  in  1842,  and  this  road 
was  made  a  grand  highway  in  1843  when  Whitman  and  his 
followers,  one  thousand  strong,  went  out  with  the  avowed 
purpose  of  saving  Oregon  to  the  Union.  The  east  had  been 
unmindful  of  the  wealth  that  lay  beyond  the  mountains 
and  it  was  not  until  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  stood  before 
President  John  Tyler  and  Secretary  of  State  Daniel  Web- 
ster, in  his  coarse  fur  garments  and  his  frozen  feet,  and 
pleaded  with  them  for  Oregon  and  for  the  privilege  of  lead- 
ing to  his  chosen  land  a  band  of  patriotic  Americans  who 
should  in  effect  settle  the  vexed  Oregon  question.  Daniel 
W^ebster  said  in  after  years  that  the  ride  of  Marcus  W^hit- 
man  through  the  awful  defiles  of  the  Eocky  Mountains  in 
mid-winter  saved  Oregon  to  the  United  States.  Such  hero- 
ism, when  we  consider  that  there  was  not  a  single  selfish 
motive,  is  the  grandest  in  the  world's  history.  I  will  not 
take  space  to  tell  the  story  in  detail,  but  let  me  quote  what 
Dr.  H.  H.  Spalding  says  of  that  memorable  journey  up  the 
Platte  Eiver,  across  Wyoming  and  down  the  Columbia 
during  the  summer  of  1843 :  "And  through  that  whole  sum- 
mer Dr.  Whitman  was  everywhere  present;  the  minister- 
ing angel  to  the  sick,  helping  the  weary,  encouraging  the 
wavering,  cheering  the  tired  mothers,  setting  broken  bones 
and  mending  wagons.  He  was  in  front,  in  the  center,  and  in 
the  rear.  He  was  in  the  river  hunting  out  fords  through 
the  quicksand;  in  the  desert  places  looking  for  water  and 
grass;  among  the  mountains  looking  for  passes  never  before 
trodden  by  white  men;  at  noontide  and  at  midnight  he  was 
on  the  alert  as  if  the  whole  line  was  his  own  family,  and  as 
if  all  the  flocks  and  herds  were  his  own.  For  all  this  he 
neither  asked  nor  expected  a  dollar  from  any  source,  and  es- 
pecially did  he  feel  repaid  at  the  end,  when,  standing  at  his 
mission  home,  hundreds  of  his  fellow  pilgrims  took  him  by 
the  hand  and  thanked  him  with  tears  in  their  eyes  for  all 
that  he  had  done." 

Dr.  Whitman,  after  leading  his  colony  into  Oregon, 
went  to  his  mission  and  commenced  the  old  routine  of  build- 
ing, sowing,  planting  and  teaching  until  on  the  29th  of  No- 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  225 

vember,  1847,  when  he  and  his  wife  were  killed  by  praying 
Indians;  that  is,  the  class  who  had  been  converted  by  the 
missionaries.  There  had  been  much  sickness  that  season 
among  the  Indians  and  the  converted  savages  regarded  the 
missionaries  as  responsible  for  it.  Another  cause  of  com- 
plaint was,  Dr.  Whitman  had  been  trying  to  induce  the  In- 
dians to  cultivate  the  ground  and  raise  crops.  The  noble 
red  man  has  always  been  opposed  to  work,  leaving  this  to  be 
done  by  his  squaw.  It  is  a  matter  of  principle  with  him  to 
be  above  work.  No  amount  of  religion  will  induce  him  to 
neglect  an  opportunity  to  take  scalps  or  steal  horses.  In  Dr. 
Whitman's  case,  he  had  fed  hundreds  of  them  for  years, 
and  while  pretending  the  greatest  love  for  him,  as  well  aa 
the  Savior,  suddenly,  without  warning,  one  of  the  Indians 
drove  a  tomahawk  into  his  brain,  while  others  shot  Mrs. 
Whitman  with  a  rifle  and  killed  twelve  more  people  about 
the  mission.  Forty  women  and  children  were  taken  captives 
at  the  same  time.  Among  those  captured  were  three  young 
women  who  were  forced  to  become  the  wives  of  the  mur- 
derers  of  their  parents. 

Thus  died  the  man  who  heads  the  list  of  western  heroes, 
but  before  closing  the  story  of  Dr.  W^hitman,  I  must  refer 
to  a  letter  written  by  him  on  June  22,  1844,  addressed  to 
Hon.  James  M.  Porter,  Secretary  of  War.  Dr.  Whitman 
had,  on  his  visit  to  Washington  during  the  winter  of  1843, 
been  asked  to  make  suggestions  as  to  the  necessary  aid  the 
government  could  give  to  those  going  to  Oregon.  In  re- 
sponse to  this,  he  suggested  the  establishing  of  posts  along 
the  route  to  protect  mountain  travelers,  these  posts  to  be 
supplied  with  provisions  for  sale.  Among  other  places,  he 
urged  that  a  settlement  be  made  on  Horse  Shoe  Creek,  in 
what  is  now  Wyoming,  also  at  Laramie's  Fork,  another  on 
the  North  Platte  west  of  this  point,  on  the  Sweetwater,  and 
on  Green  River.  In  his  letter  he  says  that  at  these  places 
there  is  good  land  for  cultivation  and  irrigation.  It  may 
be  said  to  the  credit  of  the  government  that  it  did,  in  part,  a 
few  years  later,  carry  out  the  plans  of  Dr.  Whitman  by  the 
purchase  of  the  trading  posts  known  as  Fort  Laramie  and 


224  History  of  Wyoming. 

Fort  Bridger.  On  October  14,  1847,  Dr.  Whitman  wrote  an- 
other letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  This  communication 
is  filled  with  important  suggestions,  and  among  others,  a 
mail  route  across  the  continent.  I  quote  the  letter  in  full, 
as  it  contains  the  advanced  thought  of  the  time  on  the  sub- 
jects discussed.  The  letter  was  written  only  about  a  month 
before  Dr.  Whitman  was  killed. 

"Waiilatpui,  October  16th,  1847. 

"To  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  War,  to  the  Commit- 
tee on  Indian  Affairs  and  Oregon  in  the  Senate  and  House 
of  Eepresentatives  of  the  United  States,  the  following  sug- 
gestions are  respectfully  submitted : 

"1st.  That  all  stations  of  the  United  States  for  troops 
be  kept  upon  the  borders  of  some  state  or  territory,  when 
designed  for  the  protection  and  regulation  of  Indian  ter^ 
ritory. 

"2nd.  That  a  line  of  posts  be  established  along  the 
traveled  route  to  Oregon,  at  a  distance,  so  far  as  practicable, 
of  not  more  than  fifty  miles.  That  these  posts  be  located  so 
as  to  afford  the  best  opportunity  for  agriculture  and  graz- 
ing, to  facilitate  the  production  of  provisions,  and  the  care 
of  horses  and  cattle,  for  the  use  and  support  of  said  posts 
and  to  furnish  supplies  to  all  passers  through  Indian  terri- 
tory, especially  to  mail  carriers  and  troops.  These  posts 
should  be  placed  wherever  a  bridge  or  ferry  would  be  re- 
quired to  facilitate  the  transport  of  the  mail,  and  travel  of 
troops  or  immigrants  through  the  country. 

"In  all  fertile  places  these  posts  would  support  them- 
selves  and  give  facilities  for  the  several  objects  just  named 
in  transit.  The  other  posts,  situated  where  the  soil  would 
not  admit  of  cultivation,  would  still  be  useful,  as  they  afford 
the  means  of  taking  care  of  horses  and  other  facilities  for 
transporting  the  mails. 

"These  posts  could  be  supplied  with  provisions  from 
others  in  the  vicinity.  A  few  large  posts  in  the  more  fertile 
regions  could  supply  those  more  in  the  mountains. 

"On  the  other  hand,  military  posts  can  only  be  well 
supplied  when  near  the  settlements.  In  this  way  all  trans- 
ports for  the  supply  of  interior  military  posts  would  be  su- 
perseded. 

"The  number  of  men  at  these  posts  might  vary  from 
five  to  twenty-five. 

"In  the  interior  the  buildings  may  be  built  with  adobes, 
that  is,  large  unburnt  bricks;  and  in  form  and  size  should 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  225 

much  resemble  the  common  Indian  trading  posts,  with  outer 
walls  and  bastions. 

''They  would  thus  afford  the  same  protection  in  any 
part  of  the  territory  as  the  common  trading  posts. 

''If  provided  with  a  small  amount  of  goods,  such  goods 
could  be  bartered  with  the  Indians  for  necessary  supplies, 
as  well  as,  on  proper  occasions,  given  to  chiefs  as  a  reward 
for  punishing  those  who  disturb  or  ofifend  against  the  peace 
of  the  territory. 

*'By  these  means  the  Indians  would  become  the  protect- 
ors of  those  stations. 

"At  the  same  time,  by  being  under  one  general  super- 
intendent, subject  to  the  inspection  of  the  government,  the 
Indians  may  be  concentrated  under  one  general  influence. 

"By  such  a  superintendence  the  Indians  would  be  pre- 
vented from  fleeing  from  one  place  to  another  to  secrete 
themselves  from  justice.  By  this  simple  arrangement,  all 
the  need  of  the  troops  in  the  interior  would  be  obviated, 
unless  in  some  instance  when  the  Indians  fail  to  co-operate 
with  the  superintendent  of  the  post  or  posts  for  the  promo- 
tion of  peace. 

"When  the  troops  shall  be  called  for,  to  visit  the  inte- 
rior, the  farming  posts  will  be  able  to  furnish  them  with 
supplies  in  passing  so  as  to  make  their  movements  speedy 
and  eflScient. 

"A  code  of  laws  for  the  Indian  territory  might  consti- 
tute as  civil  magistrates  the  first  or  second  in  command  of 
these  posts. 

"The  same  arrangement  would  be  equally  well  adapted 
for  the  respective  routes  to  California  and  New  Mexico. 
Many  reasons  may  be  urged  for  the  establishment  of  these 
posts,  among  which  are  the  following: 

"1st.  By  means  of  such  posts  all  acts  of  the  Indians 
would  be  under  a  full  and  complete  inspection.  All  cases 
of  murder,  theft  or  other  outrage  would  be  brought  to  light 
and  the  proper  punishment  inflicted. 

"2nd.  In  most  cases  this  may  be  done  by  giving  the 
chiefs  a  small  fee,  that  they  may  either  punish  the  offend- 
ers themselves  or  deliver  them  up  to  the  commander  of  the 
post.  In  such  cases  it  should  be  held  that  their  peers  have 
adjudged  them  guilty  before  punishment  is  inflicted. 

"3rd.  By  means  of  these  posts  it  will  become  safe  and 
easy  for  the  smallest  number  to  pass  and  repass  from  Ore- 
gon to  the  states;  and  with  a  civil  magistrate  at  each  sta- 
sis) 


226  History  of  Wyoming. 

tion,  all  idle  wandering  white  men  without  passports  can  be 
sent  out  of  the  territory. 

"4th.  In  this  way  all  banditti  for  robbing  the  mails  or 
travelers  would  be  prevented,  as  well  as  all  vagabonds  re- 
moved from  among  the  Indians. 

"5th.  Immigrants  now  lose  horses  and  other  stock  by 
the  Indians,  commencing  from  the  border  of  the  states  to 
the  Willamette.  It  is  much  to  the  praise  of  our  countrymen 
that  they  bear  so  long  with  the  Indians  when  our  govern- 
ment has  done  so  little  to  enable  them  to  pass  in  safety.  For 
one  man  to  lose  five  or  six  horses  is  not  a  rare  occurrence, 
which  loss  is  felt  heavily,  when  most  of  the  family  are  com- 
pelled to  walk  to  favor  a  reduced  and  failing  team. 

"6th.  The  Indians  along  the  line  take  courage  from  the 
forbearance  of  the  immigrants.  The  timid  Indians  on  the 
Columbia  have  this  year  in  open  day  attacked  several  par- 
ties of  wagons,  numbering  from  two  to  seven,  and  robbed 
them,  being  armed  with  guns,  bows  and  arrows,  knives  and 
axes.  Mr.  Glenday,  from  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  the  bearer 
of  this  communication  to  the  states,  with  Mr.  Bear,  his 
companion,  rescued  seven  wagons  from  being  plundered, 
and  the  people  from  gross  insults,  rescuing  one  woman 
when  the  Indians  were  in  the  act  of  taking  all  the  clotlies 
from  her  person.  The  men  were  mostly  stripped  of  their 
shirts  and  pantaloons  at  the  time. 

"7th.  The  occasional  supplies  to  passing  immigrants, 
as  well  as  the  aid  which  may  be  afforded  to  the  sick  and 
needy,  are  not  the  least  of  the  important  results  to  follow 
from  these  establishments.  A  profitable  exchange  to  the 
posts  and  immigrants,  as  also  to  others  journeying  through 
the  country,  can  be  made  by  exchanging  worn-out  horses 
and  cattle  for  fresh  ones. 

"8th.  It  scarcely  need  be  mentioned  what  advantage 
the  government  will  derive  by  a  similar  exchange  for  the 
transport  of  the  mail,  as  also  for  the  use  of  troops  passing 
through. 

"9th.  To  suppress  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  among  the 
Indians,  it  will  be  requisite  to  regard  the  giving  or  furnish- 
ing of  it  in  any  manner  as  a  breach  of  the  laws  and  peace 
of  the  territory.  All  superintendents  of  posts,  traders  and 
responsible  persons,  should  be  charged  on  oath  that  they 
will  not  sell,  give  or  furnish  in  any  manner,  ardent  spirits 
to  the  Indians. 

"10th.  Traders  should  be  regarded,  by  reason  of  the 
license  they  have  to  trade  in  the  territory,  as  receiving  a 


Opening  of  First  Highway.  227 

privilege,  and  therefore  should  be  required  to  ?:ive  and 
maintain  good  credentials  of  character.  For  rhis  reason 
they  may  be  required  to  send  in  the  testimony  of  all  their 
clerks  and  assistants  of  all  ranks,  to  show  under  the  solem- 
nity of  an  oath  that  the  laws  in  this  respect  have  not  been 
violated  or  evaded.  If  at  any  time  it  becomes  apparent  to 
the  superintendent  of  any  post  that  the  laws  have  been 
violated,  he  might  be  required  to  make  full  inquiry  of  all 
in  any  way  connected  with  or  assisting  in  the  trade  to  as- 
certain whether  the  laws  were  broken  or  their  breach  con- 
nived at.    This  will  avail  for  the  regular  licensed  trader. 

"11th.  For  illicit  traders  and  smugglers,  it  will  suflfice 
to  instruct  commanders  of  posts  to  offer  a  reward  to  the  In- 
dians for  the  safe  delivery  of  any  and  all  such  persous  as 
bring  liquors  among  them,  together  with  the  liquors  thus 
brought.  It  is  only  on  the  borders  of  the  respective  stutes 
and  territories  that  any  interruption  will  be  found  in  the 
operation  of  these  principles. 

"12th.  Here  also  a  modification  of  the  same  principle 
enacted  by  the  several  states  and  territories  might  produce 
equally  happy  results. 

"13th.  The  mail  may,  with  a  change  of  horses  every 
fifty  miles,  be  carried  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  twenty-four  hours. 

"14th.  The  leading  reason  in  favor  of  adopting  the 
aforesaid  regulations  would  be,  that  by  this  means  the  In- 
dians would  become  our  faithful  allies.  In  fact,  they  will 
be  the  best  possible  police  for  such  a  territory.  This  police 
can  safely  be  relied  upon  when  under  a  good  supervision. 
Troops  will  only  be  required  to  correct  their  faults  in  case 
of  extreme  misconduct. 

"15th.  In  closing,  I  would  remark  that  I  have  con- 
versed with  many  of  the  principal  fur  traders  of  the  Ameri- 
can and  Hudson  Bay  Companies,  all  of  whom  agree  that 
the  several  regulations  suggested  in  this  communication 
will  accomplish  the  object  proposed,  were  suitable  men 
appointed  for  its  management  and  execution. 
"Kespectfully  yours, 

"MARCUS  WHITMAN." 

The  story  of  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  has  been  told,, 
but  the  influence  of  the  man  on  western  civilization  can 
never  be  estimated  by  the  historian.  His  deeds  performed 
and  suggestions  made  had  their  influence  in  the  formation 
and  settlement  of  these  western  states.    Wherever  we  be- 


228  History  of  Wyoming. 

hold  him — let  it  be  at  South  Pass  reverently  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  country  in  the  name  of  God  and  the  United 
States;  teaching  the  Indians  at  the  Waiilatpui  Mission; 
crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains  at  the  dead  of  winter;  pursu- 
ing his  way  across  Grand  River,  in  spite  of  ice  and  deep 
water;  pleading  before  President  Tyler  and  Daniel  Web- 
ster;  leading  his  caravan  across  the  mountains  and  desert, 
or  giving  advice  to  the  leading  statesmen  of  the  land — he  is 
the  same  earnest,  patriotic,  God-fearing  man  of  deeds,  and 
the  world  is  better  for  his  example.  Great  leaders  have 
been  the  salvation  of  armies,  states  and  nations,  and  great 
minds  have  in  all  ages  benefited  their  fellow  men.  Though 
at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  only  forty-five  jears  old, 
he  had  done  more  for  his  country  than  most  grejit  men  ac- 
complish in  a  life  of  three-score  and  ten. 


Father  Peter  De  Smet.  229 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

FATHER   PETER  DE  SMET. 

His  Arrival  in  Wyoming  and  Passage  Up  the  North  Platte  and 
Sweetwater — The  Flatheads  Meet  Him  at  Green  River — Won- 
derful Interest  Shown  by  the  Indians  in  this  Priest — He 
Tells  of  His  Experiences  and  Future  Labors — Many  Visits  to 
Wyoming — Incident  Among  the  Crows — Supposed  Knowledge  of 
Gold  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains — His  Death  at  St.  Louis — 
What  is  Thought  of  Father  De  Smet  in  Wyoming. 

In  the  regular  order  of  progress  of  the  missionaries 
through  Wyoming  came  Father  Peter  De  Smet.  He  ar- 
rived six  years  later  than  Lee  and  five  years  later  than  Par- 
ker and  Whitman,  but  he  was  no  less  worthy  of  the  cause 
of  religion.  I  am  glad  that  I  have  been  fortunate  enough 
to  procure  a  portrait  of  this  remarkable  man.  A  study  of 
the  lines  of  character  to  be  found  in  his  face  will  to  some 
extent  reveal  his  strength  and  courage.  See  poi'trait  in 
this  volume.  With  the  contentions  of  the  Protestants  and 
Catholics  regarding  the  call  by  the  Flathead  Indians  I  have 
nothing  to  do.  I  will  simply  tell  the  story  of  the  arrival  of 
Father  De  Smet  and  his  labors  in  what  is  now  the  State  of 
Wyoming.  This  good  priest  was  born  in  Termonde,  Bel- 
gium, on  January  31,  1801.  At  an  early  age  he  entered  the 
Society  of  Jesus  and  in  due  time  was  sent  to  America  to 
work  in  the  missionary  field.  He  served  in  Missouri  and 
Kansas  for  some  time,  but  his  health  giving  way  he  returned 
to  his  native  land.  In  the  year  1837  he  again  came  to  this 
country  and  on  April  5,  1840,  left  St.  Louis  for  the  west, 
joining  at  Westport  the  annual  expedition  of  the  American 
Fur  Company  when  it  was  ready  to  depart  for  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  In  this  expedition  were  thirty  trappers  and  an 
Iroquois  Indian  named  Ignace.  Father  De  Smet  was  m  the 
special  care  of  this  Indian,  who  had  promised  to  -conduct 
him  to  the  Flathead  tribe.     Peter,  another  Iroquois,  had 


230  History  of  Wyoming. 

departed  for  the  west  some  months  before  and  had  carried 
the  news  to  the  Flatheads  that  the  "Black  Robe"  wouhl  be 
at  Green  River  in  the  spring,  accompanied  by  Ignace.  The 
Flatheads  were  camped  that  season  on  Eight  Mile  Creek, 
Bitter  Root  Valley.  The  chief,  when  the  time  came  for  the 
arrival  of  the  train  from  Westport,  detailed  ten  of  his  trust- 
ed warriors  to  meet  the  man  of  God  and  bring  him  to  camp, 
and  at  the  same  time  announced  that  he  with  the  whole 
tribe  would  follow  on. 

On  June  30th  the  caravan  with  which  Father  De  Smet 
was  traveling  reached  Green  River,  and  here  the  meeting 
between  the  Flathead  warriors  and  "Black  Robe"  took 
place.  This  was  on  Tuesday,  and  Father  De  Smet  spent  the 
balance  of  the  w^eek  visiting  among  the  Indian  traders  and 
trappers,  of  which  there  were  great  numbers  at  the  ren- 
dezvous that  season. 

Here,  on  the  following  Sunday,  July  5,  Father  De 
Smet  celebrated  mass  before  a  motley,  yet  most  respectful, 
crowd  of  Indians,  whites,  fur  traders,  hunters  and  trappers. 
The  altar  was  erected  on  a  little  elevation  on  the  prairie 
and  was  decorated  with  boughs  and  garlands  of  wild  flow- 
ers. The  temple  was  the  most  magnificent  of  God's  own 
making,  having  for  its  vault  the  azure  sky  and  for  space  and 
floor  the  vast,  boundless  expanse  of  wilderness.  The  spot 
was  afterward  known  and  pointed  out  by  the  Indians  as 
"The  Prairie  of  the  Mass." 

On  the  following  day  Father  De  Smet  bade  adieu  to 
his  traveling  companions  of  the  plains,  and  with  his  In- 
dian escort  started  northward  towards  the  headwaters  of 
the  Snake  River.  Some  eight  days'  journey  through  the 
mountain  defiles  brought  them  to  the  main  body  of  the 
Flatheads.  They  were  encamped  in  the  Pierre  Hole  Valley, 
on  the  line  that  separates  east  Idaho  from  Wyoming,  south 
of  Pleasant  Valley,  having  come  that  far,  a  distance  of 
some  800  miles,  to  meet  the  priest.  Their  number  had  been 
increased  from  the  start,  and  on  the  road  by  detached  bands 
of  other  tribes — Nez  Perces,  Pend  d'Oreilles  and  Kalispels, 
numbering,  all  told,  some  1,600  souls.     His  entrance  into 


Father  Peter  De  Smet.  231 

the  camp  was  a  real  triumph,  in  which  all,  men,  women  and 
children,  took  part. 

In  the  volume,  "Indians  and  Whites  of  the  Northwest," 
I  find  the  following  items  regarding  the  journey  of  this  re- 
markable missionary: 

"  'Immediately  the  whole  village  was  in  commotion,' 
wrote  Father  De  Smet  to  his  friend.  Father  Barbelin,  'men, 
women  and  children  all  came  to  meet  me  and  shake  hands, 
and  I  was  conducted  in  triumph  to  the  lodge  of  the  great 
chief,  who  had  the  appearance  of  a  patriarch.' 

"Surrounded  by  the  principal  men  of  the  two  tribes 
and  their  warriors,  the  great  chief,  whose  name  was  The 
Big  Face,  thus  addressed  Father  De  Smet: 

"  'This  day  the  Great  Spirit  has  accomplished  our 
wishes  and  our  hearts  are  swelled  with  joy.  Our  desire  to 
be  instructed  was  so  great  that  three  times  had  we  deputed 
our  people  to  the  Great  Black  Robe  in  St.  Louis  to  obtain 
priests.  Kow,  Father,  speak,  and  we  will  comply  with  all 
that  you  will  tell  us.  Show  us  the  way  we  have  to  go  to 
the  home  of  the  Great  Spirit,'  'Then,'  says  Father  De  Smet, 
^he  resigned  his  authority  to  me,  but  I  replied  that  he  mis- 
took the  object  of  my  coming  among  them;  that  I  had  no 
other  object  in  view  but  the  salvation  of  their  souls  and  that 
they  were  to  remain  as  they  were  until  circumstances 
should  allow  them  to  settle  in  a  permanent  spot.' 

"After  arranging  on  the  hours  proper  for  prayers  and 
instructions,  one  of  the  chiefs  brought  Father  De  Smet  a 
little  bell,  with  which  he  might  give  the  sign  and  call  them 
together.  'The  same  evening,'  continues  Father  De  Smet, 
'about  2,000  persons  were  assembled  before  my  lodge  to 
recite  night  prayers  in  common.  The  prayers  having  been 
said,  a  solemn  canticle  of  praise,  of  their  own  composition, 
was  sung  by  these  children  of  the  mountains  to  the  Author 
of  their  being.  It  would  be  impossible  for  me,'  he  adds  'to 
describe  the  emotions  I  felt  at  this  moment.  I  wept  for 
and  admired  the  wonderful  ways  of  that  kind  Providence, 
which,  in  His  infinite  mercy,  had  deigned  to  depute  me  to 
these  poor  people,  to  announce  to  them  the  glad  tidings  of 
salvation.' 

"Soon  after  the  whole  camp  was  on  the  move  up  Hen- 
ry's Fork  of  the  Snake  River  to  Henry's  Lake,  its  source. 
Here  Father  De  Smet,  July  28rd,  ascended  one  of  the  peaks 
on  top  of  the  main  range  and  engraved  on  a  soft  stone  the 
following  inscription:     'Sanctus  Ignatius  Patronus  Monti- 


232  History  of  Wyoming. 

um,  die  23  Julii,  1840.'  And  here  also,  his  soul  brimful  of 
emotion  at  the  inspiring  solemnity  and  grandeur  of  the 
scene  before  him,  broke  forth  in  the  following  rhyme,  which 
is  transcribed  from  his  diary: 

"  'Ye  Rockies  hail!  majestic  mounts! 
Of  future  bliss  the  favored  shrine! 
For  you  God's  Heart  of  gifts  Divine 
Opens  this  day  its  precious  founts.' 

"Moving  thence  a  short  distance,  they  crossed  what  is 
now  the  Idaho  line  and  camped  in  Montana,  first  at  the 
headwaters  of  Beaverhead  River,  not  far  from  Red  Rock 
Lake;  then  along  the  banks  of  the  same  river  and  in  the 
Big  Hole  Basin;  finally  on  Jefferson  Island,  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  Boulder  Valley,  near  the  three  forks  of  the  Mis- 
souri. Thus,  the  bank  of  the  Beaverhead-Jefiferson  River 
is  the  spot  where  Christianity  was  first  preached  in  Mon- 
tana. 

"Father  De  Smet's  missionary  labors  began  with  the 
day  of  his  arrival,  and  never  were  there  more  docile  pupils 
than  these  poor  children  of  the  forest.  In  the  compara- 
tively short  time  he  was  with  them,  he  prepared  several 
hundred  of  them  for  baptism  and  instructed  about  1,000 
others. 

"The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  addressed  by  Father 
De  Smet  from  his  field  of  missionary  labors  to  the  Very 
Rev.  F.  N.  Blanchet,  V.  G.,  (afterwards  the  first  Archbishop 
of  Portland,  Oregon)  who  had  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains 
two  years  previous  and  was  at  this  time  evangelizing  the 
French  Canadians  and  Indians  in  Oregon,  near  the  coast: 
"  'Fork  of  Jefferson  River,  August  10,  1840. 

"  'Very  Reverend  Sir:  Your  Reverence  will  be  glad  to 
learn  that  Mgr.  Rosati,  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  in  concert  with 
my  provincial  superior  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  Missouri, 
and  in  compliance  with  the  desires  often  repeated  of  the 
Flatheads,  Pend  d'Oreilles  and  a  great  number  of  Nez  Per- 
ces,  has  sent  me  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  visit  these  mis- 
sions. I  have  found  the  two  first  in  the  most  desirable  dis- 
position, well  resolved  to  stand  by  the  true  children  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  few  weeks  I  had  the  happiness  to  pass  among 
them  have  been  the  happiest  of  my  life  and  give  me  the  firm 
hope,  with  the  grace  of  God,  to  see  soon  in  this  country,  sO' 
long  forsaken,  the  fervor  of  the  first  Christians.  Since  I  am 
among  them  I  have  three,  four  and  five  instructions  daily. 
They  cannot  be  tired;  all  come  to  my  lodge  at  the  first  ring- 
ing of  the  bell.    They  are  anxious  to  lose  none  of  my  words 


Father  Peter  De  Smet.  233 

relating  to  these  instructions  on  these  heavenly  subjects, 
and  if  I  had  the  strength  to  speak  to  them,  they  would  will- 
ingly listen  to  me  whole  days  and  nights.  I  have  baptized 
about  200  of  their  little  children  and  I  expect  to  baptize  in 
a  short  time  150  adults.' 

"This  letter  was  sent  through  Indians  and  Hudson  Bay 
Company  men  to  Colville,  and  thence  brought  to  St.  Paul, 
Oregon,  and  handed  to  the  Very  Rev.  F.  N.  Blanchet  by  his 
missionary  companion,  Rev.  Modest  Demers. 

"After  two  months  of  constant  missionary  work,  Father 
De  Smet  bade  farewell  to  his  newly  converted  children  of  the 
mountains,  with  the  promise  to  return  in  the  spring  with 
other  black  robes. 

"From  the  Gallatin  Valley,  where  he  parted  with  the 
main  body  of  the  tribe  August  27th,  he  now  crossed  over  to 
the  Yellowstone  country,  being  escorted  for  a  considerable 
distance  by  a  number  of  Flathead  warriore.  His  course  lay 
through  the  land  of  the  Crows,  Blackfeet,  Gros  Ventres, 
Assiniboines  and  the  Sioux,  all  hostile  to  the  Flatheads  and 
their  friends. 

"Passing  an  Assiniboine  party  in  safety,  he  and  his 
companions  were  surrounded  by  a  fierce  war  party  of  Black- 
feet.  The  long  black  gown  of  the  missionary,  the  crucifix 
which  glittered  on  his  bosom  whenever  he  traveled  through 
the  Indian  country,  arrested  the  eyes  of  the  Blackfeet 
chief.  'Who  art  thou?'  asked  he.  'He  is  a  Black  Robe,'  said 
Father  De  Smet's  companion,  'the  man  who  speaks  to  the 
Great  Spirit.'  In  a  moment  all  was  changed.  Invited  to 
eat  with  the  missionary,  the  chief  showed  still  greater  re- 
spect when  he  saw  him  address  the  Great  Spirit  before  the 
frugal  meal.  This  ended,  twelve  Indians  stretched  a  buffalo 
robe  before  the  Father,  with  motions  indicating  their  wish 
that  he  should  be  seated  upon  it.  Supposing  it  was  in- 
tended for  a  mat,  he  did  so;  but  they  raised  it  aloft,  and 
so  bore  him  in  triumph  to  their  village.  There,  too,  he  was 
received  and  treated  with  every  honor.  'It  is  the  happiest 
day  of  my  life,'  said  the  chief.  'It  is  the  first  time  that  we 
see  among  us  the  Black  Robe,  the  man  who  speaks  to  the 
Great  Spirit.  These  are  the  braves  of  my  tribe.  I  have 
brought  thee  here  that  the  memory  of  thy  presence  may  be 
forever  engraved  on  their  memories.' 

"Father  De  Smet  arrived  in  St.  Louis  on  the  eve  of  the 
new  year,  and  his  safe  return  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  through 
the  souls  of  his  brethren.  On  hearing  from  him  of  the  good 
dispositions  of  the  Flatheads,  of  the  large  and  ripe  field  that 


234  History  of  Wyoming. 

was  waiting  for  laborers,  all  burned  with  a  desire  to  go  and 
help  him  gather  in  the  harvest." 

Father  De  Smet  returned  to  the  mountains  again  in 
the  early  spring  of  1841,  following  once  more  the  North 
Platte,  the  Sweetwater,  and  was  met  at  the  south  point 
of  the  Wind  River  Range  (South  Pass)  by  ten  lodges  of  the 
Flathead  Indians.  He  was  conducted  through  Wyoming  by 
a  noted  trapper  and  guide  named  John  Gray,  who  will  be 
remembered  by  many  of  our  pioneers  even  to  this  day.  His 
interpreter  was  another  well  known  character,  Gabriel 
Prudhomme,  a  half-breed,  also  two  brothers,  Charles  and 
Francis  Ignace.  The  priest  spent  some  little  time  in  south- 
western Wyoming  and  then  went  on  to  Fort  Hall  and  finally 
to  old  Fort  Owen  in  Montana.  His  services  among  the  Flat- 
heads  to  all  appearances  were  productive  of  great  good. 
Lieutenant  John  Mullan  of  the  United  States  army,  who 
accompanied  Isaac  J.  Stephens  on  an  expedition  into  Mon- 
tana thirteen  years  afterwards,  thus  writes  of  the  condi- 
tion of  these  Indians  at  that  time,  a  condition  brought 
about  by  the  labors  of  Father  De  Smet. 

"When  I  arrived  at  the  camp,  with  my  guide,  three  or 
four  men  came  to  meet  me  and  we  were  invited  to  enter  thq 
lodge  of  the  great  chief.  With  much  eagerness  they  took 
care  of  our  horses  and  unsaddled  them  and  led  them  to 
drink.  As  soon  as  all  the  camp  had  been  informed  of  the 
arrival  of  the  white  man  among  them,  the  principal  men 
of  the  tribe  collected  at  the  lodge  of  the  chief.  All  being 
assembled,  at  a  signal  given  by  the  chief  they  prayed  aloud. 
I  was  struck  with  astonishment,  for  I  had  not  the  least  ex- 
pectation of  such  conduct  on  their  part.  The  whole  assem- 
bly knelt  in  the  most  solemn  manner  and  with  the  greatest 
reverence  they  adored  the  Lord.  I  asked  myself,  'Am  I 
among  Indians?  Am  I  among  people  whom  all  the  world 
call  savages?'  I  could  scarcely  believe  my  eyes.  The 
thought  that  these  men  were  penetrated  with  religious  sen- 
timent so  profound  and  beautiful  overwhelmed  me  with 
amazement." 

Father  De  Smet  was  in  and  out  of  Wyoming  for  many 
years.  He  paid  a  number  of  visits  to  the  Crows  and  passed 
over  all  that  country  lying  north  of  Big  Wind  River  on  both 
sides  of  the  Big  Horn  River.    He  visited  the  Powder  River 


Father  Peter  De  Smet.  235 

country  and  many  times  passed  over  the  ground  where  Buf- 
falo now  stands.  Ten  miles  north  of  Buffalo  is  a  beautiful 
lake  which  is  named  after  him.  The  Crows  at  first  received 
him  as  the  other  Indians  had  done,  with  courtesy  and  kind- 
ness, but  after  a  time  the  awe  and  veneration  inspired  by 
his  black  gown  and  large  gold  cross,  which  hung  on  his 
breast,  wore  off  and  they  became  slightly  sceptical  in  regard 
to  his  being  a  direct  representative  of  the  Great  Spirit.  One 
day  a  prominent  chief  of  the  tribe  showed  his  scepticism  to 
the  good  father,  in  a  marked  manner,  by  saying  to  him  that 
if  he  would  go  out  on  the  prairie  where  an  old  buffalo  bull 
was  grazing  and  put  his  hands  on  the  animal's  head,  it 
would  be  proof  to  the  tribe  that  he  was  the  Great  Spirit, 
but  if  the  buffalo  should  kill  him  they  would  know  that  he 
was  not  protected  by  supernatural  power.  The  priest  saw 
that  he  must  run  the  risk  of  attempting  to  perform  what 
seemed  very  near  a  miracle.  He  boldly  advanced  toward 
the  old  bull,  who  as  he  approached  continued  to  graze. 
Nearer  and  nearer  to  the  animal  he  advanced,  and  finally 
when  only  a  few  yards  distant  the  huge  creature  raised  his 
head  and  gazed  intently  at  the  black  gown  and  flashing 
cross,  and  finally  the  priest  placed  his  hand  on  the  bull's 
head,  the  animal  the  while  seeming  to  be  transfixed  to  the 
spot.  Having  accomplished  his  mission.  Father  De  Smet 
turned  and  walked  back  to  the  group  of  Indians,  who  were 
awaiting  the  test.  The  savages  received  him  as  they  would 
one  possessing  Divine  power.  They  verily  believed  from 
that  moment  that  he  was  under  the  protection  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  quickly  the  incident  spread  through  the  entire 
Crow  nation  and  even  to  adjoining  tribes.  Many  Indians 
in  the  northwest,  I  am  told,  still  relate  this  story  in  proof  of 
the  God-given  power  of  Father  De  Smet. 

Many  old  residents  of  Wyoming  today  remember  this 
good  priest  and  are  ever  anxious  to  testify  to  his  worthy 
deeds.  During  his  travels  in  this  state  he  investigated  and 
became  acquainted  with  the  geological  formation  of  the 
country.  He  visited  extensively  in  Montana,  Idaho,  and 
even  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  but  he  seemed  to  find 


236  History  of  Wyoming. 

much  more  in  Wyoming  to  interest  him  than  in  any  other 
place.  His  name  is  inseparably  connected  with  the  Big 
Horn  country.  Reverend  Father  Meaphlie,  a  chaplain  in 
the  United  States  army,  is  authority  for  a  story  which  has 
often  been  related,  in  which  the  Father  told  of  the  In- 
dians showing  him  handfuls  of  nuggets  which  they  pro- 
posed manufacturing  into  bullets  for  an  old  pistol  which  the 
Father  had  given  to  a  prominent  chief.  De  Smet  was  really 
taken  to  the  spot  from  whence  the  nuggets  were  obtained, 
and  found  it  to  be  immensely  rich.  But  he  taught  the  sav- 
ages the  value  of  it,  told  them  their  beautiful  country  would 
soon  be  desecrated  by  white  miners  if  the  facts  became 
known,  and  in  return  was  compelled  to  promise  never  to 
reveal  the  secret  of  its  location.  To  the  question  once  asked 
him  by  the  Bishop  of  his  church  at  Omaha,  "Are  those  mines 
on  the  Pacific  coast  the  ones  you  have  told  about?"  the 
Father  answered  in  the  negative,  and  then  sorrowfully 
added,  "but  I  fear  it  will  not  be  many  years  until  they  are 
discovered,  and  then  what  will  become  of  my  poor  Indians?" 
To  army  officers  and  others  he  has  often  admitted  his  know- 
ledge of  those  mines  in  the  northwest,  when  closely  pressed 
to  do  so,  and  many  persons  are  now  living  who  have  tried  in 
various  ways  to  extract  more  definite  knowledge  from  him. 
Most  of  these  believe  that  a  careful  prospecting  of  the  Big 
Horn  and  Wind  River  regions  will  certainly  reveal  the  terra 
incognito,  because  it  is  understood  that  the  old  Montana 
mines  were  not  meant,  and  that  no  spot  yet  discovered  in 
the  Black  Hills  answers  to  his  glowing  description. 

Says  Strayhorn  in  his  "Handbook  of  Wyoming" :  "On 
Father  De  Smet's  return  from  one  of  his  long  trips,  just  as 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  was  made  known,  he 
heard  some  acquaintances  expressing  doubt  as  to  the  won- 
derful stories  from  the  west.  Turing  to  them,  he  said :  *I 
do  not  doubt  it.  I  am  sure  there  is  gold  in  California;'  and 
after  a  moment's  pause  he  quietly  added:  *I  know  where 
gold  exists  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  such  abundance  that, 
if  made  known,  it  would  astonish  the  world.  It  is  even 
richer  than  California!'    Among  those  who  knew  him  best 


Father  Peter  De  Smet.  237 

his  statements  were  taken  for  literal  truth,  and  when  asked 
to  corroborate  the  assertion  quoted  he  would  make  no  ex- 
planation, merely  adhering  to  it  and  saying  that  he  had 
promised  the  Indians  never  to  describe  the  location  of  this 
wealth." 

In  1868  Father  De  Smet  visited  Cheyenne  and  remained 
for  some  days,  and  while  there  gave  an  interesting  account 
of  northern  Wyoming.  Said  he:  "There  are  many  lovely 
valleys  in  that  section,  capable  of  sustaining  a  large  popu- 
lation. The  mountain  scenery  is  truly  grand,  and  the  vast 
forests  of  timber  wonderful  and  invaluable.  Often  have  I 
seen  evidences  of  mineral  wealth  in  this  wonderful  country 
at  different  places.  The  whole  range  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, from  New  Mexico  to  British  America,  is  mineral  bear- 
ing. In  many  places  the  streams  are  stocked  with  trout, 
and  game  was  abundant  wherever  I  went.  The  climate  is 
delightful,  often  reminding  me  of  the  climate  of  the  south 
of  France,  near  the  Pyrenees.  I  have  ridden  through  some 
of  these  rich  valleys  where  the  grass  was  so  rank  and  tall 
that  my  head  was  not  visible  above  its  top  when  seated  on 
horseback." 

Father  Peter  De  Smet  died  at  St.  Louis,  May  23,  1873, 
in  which  city  his  remains  were  interred.  This  pious  priest 
possessed  many  qualities  which  go  to  make  up  the  man, 
and  his  memory  will  long  be  cherished  not  only  in  Wyo- 
ming but  in  the  adjoining  state  of  Montana  and  along  the 
full  length  of  the  Columbia  River.  Let  no  one  have  the  idea 
that  Father  De  Smet  was  not  fond  of  telling  of  his  experi- 
ences among  the  Indians  and  of  describing  the  country 
through  which  he  traveled.  He  rode  on  horseback  thous- 
ands of  miles,  and  the  whole  territory  of  Wyoming,Montana, 
Idaho,  Oregon  and  Washington  was  clearly  mapped  out  in 
his  mind.  He  wrote  many  letters  which  were  published  in 
Belgium.  In  1843  these  letters  were  re-edited  and  appeared 
in  book  form  under  the  title  of  "Letters  and  Sketches."  In 
1847  another  volume  appeared  under  the  title  "Oregon  Mis- 
sions." He  published  at  least  two  volumes  in  America 
which  are  said  to  contain  much  valuable  information.     I 


238  History  of  Wyoming. 

have  met  many  people  who  were  intimately  acquainted 
with  this  remarkable  man,  and  they  one  and  all  speak  of 
him  as  possessing  generous  and  genial  qualities.  Some  re- 
gret that  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  missionary  cause,  claim- 
ing that  in  other  walks  of  life  he  would  have  become  a  giant 
among  men. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


FREMONT'S   EXPLORATIONS   IN   WYOMING. 

The  First  Military  Expedition  to  Visit  Our  State — The  Main  De- 
tachment Follows  the  North  Platte  to  Fort  Laramie — Fre- 
mont with  a  Small  Party  Visits  Fort  St.  Vrain  and  Passes  North 
TO  Fort  Laramie — Description  of  the  Fort  as  it  Appeared  in 
1842 — Indians  Invite  Them  to  Partake  of  a  Dog  Feast — Indian 
Chiefs  Warn  the  Party  that  if  They  go  Further  West,  will 
BE  Killed — Fremont's  Speech  of  Defiance — Expedition  Goes 
Forward — Observations  Regarding  Formations,  Soil,  Climate, 
Etc. 

The  exploring  expedition  of  Lieutenant  John  C.  Fre- 
mont into  Wyoming  in  1842  was  an  important  event  in  our 
early  history.  The  commander  of  the  expedition,  though 
only  twenty-nine  years  old,  was  a  ripe  scholar,  a  keen  ob- 
server, and  withal  possessed  the  genius  of  an  explorer.  He 
left  throughout  Wyoming  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  in- 
delible footprints  and  gave  to  the  world  a  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  things  as  they  were  in  our  country  at  that 
time.  Not  only  did  he  bring  to  his  task  full  and  complete 
preparation  for  the  great  work  which  was  to  make  his  name 
imperishable  and  give  him  a  place  on  the  brightest  pages 
of  the  western  half  of  the  Republic,  but  with  his  superior 
ability  charmed  the  masses  by  his  written  reports  published 
by  the  government  in  1845.  The  cloud  of  mystery  which  had 
covered  mountain  and  plain  in  Wyoming  was  cleared  away 
by  this  intrepid  explorer,  and  the  locality  was  given  its 
proper  place  on  the  map  of  the  west. 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  239 

John  Charles  Fremont  was  born  January  21,  1813,  at 
Savannah,  Georgia,  while  his  mother  was  on  a  visit  to  that 
city,  the  residence  of  the  family  being  at  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Charleston  College 
and  excelled  in  Greek,  Latin  and  Mathematics.  An  act  of 
Congress  passed  April  30,  1824,  authorized  the  President 
of  the  United  States  "to  employ  two  or  more  skillful  civil 
engineers,  and  such  officers  of  the  corps  of  engineers,  or  who 
may  be  detailed  to  do  duty  with  that  corps,  as  he  may  think 
proper,  to  cause  the  necessary  surveys,  plans  and  estimates 
to  be  made  of  the  routes  of  such  roads  and  canals  as  he  may 
deem  of  national  importance,  in  a  commercial  or  military 
point  of  view,  or  for  the  transportation  of  the  public  mail." 
Under  this  act,  Fremont  received  his  first  appointment  in 
that  branch  of  the  public  service.  He  was  selected  by 
President  Jackson  as  an  associate  engineer  to  serve  with 
Captain  Williams  of  the  Topographical  Corps,  and  he 
served  in  this  capacity  in  a  survey  of  the  Cherokee  country 
in  the  winter  of  1837  and  1838.  Under  the  act  passed  July 
5,  1838,  to  increase  the  military  establishment,  the  fourth 
section  of  that  act  required  that  the  corps  of  topographical 
engineers  should  be  organized  and  increased,  by  regular 
promotion  in  the  same,  so  that  the  said  corps  should  consist 
of  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  four  majors,  ten  cap- 
tains, ten  first  lieutenants  and  ten  second  lieutenants;  and 
the  fifth  section  ordained  that  the  vacancies  created  by  said 
organization,  over  and  above  those  which  could  be  filled  by 
the  corps  itself,  should  be  taken  from  the  army,  and  from 
such  as  it  may  be  deemed  advisable  of  the  civil  engineers 
employed  under  the  act  of  April  30th,  1824. 

This  latter  clause  let  in  Mr.  Fremont.  It  was  probably 
designed  to  do  so,  as  his  friend  and  patron,  Mr.  Poinsett, 
was  then  Secretary  of  War.  He  was  accordingly  commis- 
sioned two  days  afterwards,  on  the  7th  of  July,  1838,  as  a 
second  lieutenant  of  the  topographical  engineers.  About 
this  time  he  had  been  transferred  to  the  theater  of  his 
fame,  the  field  where  his  great  work  in  life  was  to  be  done. 
The  same  year  that  Fremont  was  appointed,  the  work  of  sur- 


240  History  of  Wyoming. 

veying  the  northwest  and  west  was  commenced  and  Lieu- 
tenant Fremont,  under  Mr.  Mcholet,  a  learned  and  distin- 
guished astronomer  and  a  man  of  science,  entered  the  field 
and  the  whole  country  was  explored  up  to  the  British  line. 
In  the  course  of  these  surveys  there  were  seventy  thousand 
meteorological  observations,  and  the  topography  was  mi- 
nutely determined  by  the  proper  calculations  at  innumera- 
ble points.  The  map  thus  constructed  has  been  the  source 
from  which  all  subsequent  ones  relating  to  that  region  have 
been  derived.  On  October  19,  1841,  Lieutenant  Fremont 
was  married  to  Jessie  Benton,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  H. 
Benton,  a  United  States  Senator  from  the  State  of  Missouri. 
The  young  lady's  parents  raised  a  storm  of  objections  and 
the  newspapers  of  the  time  were  full  of  the  affair,  but  Miss 
Benton  was  the  daughter  of  her  father  and  it  was  not 
strange  that  she  should  have  a  will  of  her  own.  It  was  a 
happy  marriage  and  Senator  Benton  early  was  reconciled 
to  his  daughter's  choice,  and  that  distinguished  statesman 
in  after  years  became  very  proud  of  his  son-in-law. 

On  May  2,  1842,  Lieutenant  Fremont  left  Washington 
with  his  instructions  to  explore  the  country  lying  between 
the  Missouri  River  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  along  the 
lines  of  the  Kansas  and  Platte  Rivers.  He  reached  St. 
Louis  May  22nd  and  there  outfitted  the  expedition  and  pro- 
ceeded by  steamboat  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River  and 
made  his  final  preparations  at  the  trading  post  of  Cyprian 
Chouteau,  which  was  located  twelve  miles  up  the  stream 
last  mentioned.  He  brought  with  him  twenty-one  men 
recruited  at  St.  Louis.  These  men  were  required  to  enter 
the  service  of  the  United  States  for  the  purposes  of  the  ex- 
pedition. He  also  engaged  Charles  Preuss  as  assistant  to- 
pographical engineer,  L.  Maxwell  as  hunter  and  Christopher 
Carson  as  guide.  The  twenty-one  men  recruited  at  St.  Louis 
were  Clement  Lambert,  J.  B.  L'Esperance,  J.  B.  Leferve, 
Benjamin  Potra,  Louis  Gouin,  J.  B.  Dumes,  Basil  Lajeu- 
nesse,  Francois  Tessier,  Benjamin  Cadotte,  Joseph  Clement, 
Daniel  Simonds,  Leonard  Benoit,  Michel  Morly,  Baptiste 
Bernier,  Honore  Ayot,  Francois  Latulippe,  Francois  Ba- 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  241 

deau,  Louis  Menard,  Joseph  Ruelle,  Moise  Chardonnais, 
Auguste  Jauisse,  Raphael  Prone.  In  addition  to  those 
named  were  Henry  Brant  of  St.  Louis,  aged  19,  and  Ran- 
dolph, the  twelye-year-old  son  of  Senator  Benton.  The 
party  was  well  mounted  and  armed  with  the  exception  of 
eight  men  who  conducted  as  many  carts  containing  stores, 
baggage  and  instruments.  The  carts  were  drawn  by  two 
mules  each.  There  were  a  few  loose  horses  and  four  oxen. 
The  expedition  left  Chouteau's  trading  post  on  the  morning 
of  June  10th  and  proceeded  west  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Kansas  River  for  a  distance  of  100  miles,  where  they  crossed 
that  stream  and  taking  a  northwesterly  course  reached  the 
Platte  twenty  miles  below  Grand  Island  on  June  26th.  Go- 
ing up  the  river,  they  arrived  at  the  forks  of  the  North  and 
South  Platte  on  July  2nd.  A  major  part  of  the  force  in 
charge  of  Clement  Lambert,  was  sent  up  the  North  Fork, 
with  instructions  to  proceed  as  far  as  the  Laramie  Fork 
and  there  await  Fremont,  who,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Preuss, 
Maxwell,  Bernier,  Ayot  and  Basil  Lajeunesse,  w^ent  up  the 
South  Platte  as  far  as  St.  Vrain  Fort,  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing some  extra  mules  and  at  the  same  time  informing 
himself  as  to  the  feasibility  of  connecting  the  South  Platte 
country  with  the  settlements  by  a  line  of  posts  from  the 
Arkansas  River.  On  the  second  day  out  Mr.  Preuss  was 
sent  back  to  join  the  main  division,  his  horse  being  in  no 
condition  to  stand  the  journey.  From  St.  Vrain  they  pro- 
ceeded down  the  South  Platte  a  short  distance,  then  struck 
across  the  country  and  made  direct  for  the  Black  Hills, 
crossing  the  Cache  la  Poudre,  then  continuing  north  to 
Crow  Creek,  entering  Wyoming  about  thirty  miles  south- 
east of  Cheyenne,  proceeding  thence  north  to  Lodge  Pole 
Creek,  Horse  Creek  and  through  Goshen's  Hole,  reaching 
the  North  Platte  thirteen  miles  below  Fort  Laramie,  and  on 
July  15th  they  reached  that  post.  An  extract  from  Fre- 
mont's official  report  will  show  the  condition  of  things  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  at  that  early  day.  From  this  on  I 
shall  use  this  report  freely,  as  it  is  a  most  valuable  official 
document  and  pertains  exclusively  to  the  history  of  Wyo- 
-(16) 


242  History  of  Wyoming. 

ming.  It  is  fifty-three  years  since  it  was  published  by  Con- 
gress and  few  of  the  rising  generation  have  ever  had  an  op- 
portunity of  seeing  it,  as  it  has  been  out  of  print  for  more 
than  forty  years.  During  the  rush  to  Oregon,  Utah  and 
California  in  1847-8-9  this  report  was  in  great  demand  and 
thousands  of  copies  were  distributed  by  members  of  Con- 
gress to  their  constituents.  In  those  days  every  party  of 
emigrants  was  supplied  with  these  reports  and  the  book 
was  consulted  daily  by  persons  crossing  Wyoming.  The 
report  reads  as  follows,  commencing  with  a  description  of 
the  old  Adams  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  River: 

''Like  the  post  on  the  South  Fork  (St.  Vrain),  it 
was  built  of  earth  and  still  unfinished,  being  enclosed  with 
walls  (or  rather  houses)  on  three  of  the  sides  and  open  on  the 
fourth  to  the  river.  A  few  hundred  yards  brought  us  in 
view  of  the  post  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  called  Fort 
John,  or  Laramie.  This  was  a  large  post,  having  more  the 
air  of  military  construction  than  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  It  is  on  the  left  bank,  on  a  rising  ground  some  twen- 
ty-five feet  above  the  water;  and  its  lofty  walls,  white- 
washed and  picketed,  with  the  large  bastions  at  the  angles, 
gave  it  quite  an  imposing  appearance  in  the  uncertain  light 
of  evening.  A  cluster  of  lodges,  which  the  language  told  us 
belonged  to  the  Sioux  Indians,  was  pitched  under  the  walls, 
and,  with  the  fine  background  of  the  Black  Hills  and  the 
prominent  peak  of  Laramie  mountain,  strongly  drawn  in 
the  clear  light  of  the  sky,  where  the  sun  had  already  set, 
the  whole  formed  at  the  moment  a  strikingly  beautiful  pic- 
ture. From  the  company  at  St.  Louis  I  had  letters  for  Mr. 
Boudeau,  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the  post,  by  whom  I 
was  received  with  great  hospitality  and  an  efficient  kind- 
ness which  was  valuable  to  me  during  my  stay  in  the  coun- 
try. I  found  our  people  encamped  on  the  bank,  a  short  dis- 
tance above  the  fort.  All  were  well ;  and,  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  bountiful  supper,  which  coffee  and  bread  made  luxuri- 
ous to  us,  we  soon  forgot  the  fatigues  of  the  last  ten  days. 

"I  walked  up  to  visit  our  friends  at  the  fort,  which  is  a 
quadrangular  structure,  built  of  clay,  after  the  fashion  of 
the  Mexicans,  who  are  generally  employed  in  building  them. 
The  walls  are  fifteen  feet  high,  surmounted  with  a  wooden 
palisade,  and  form  a  portion  of  ranges  of  houses,  which 
entirely  surround  a  yard  of  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
*>eet  square.    Every  apartment  has  its  door  and  window — 


Frcmonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  243 

all,  of  course,  opening  on  the  inside.  There  are  two  en- 
trances, opposite  each  other,  and  midway  the  wall,  one  of 
which  is  a  large  and  public  entrance;  the  other  smaller  and 
more  private — a  sort  of  postern  gate.  Over  the  great  en- 
trance is  a  square  tower,  with  loop-holes,  and,  like  the  rest 
of  the  work,  built  of  earth.  At  two  of  the  angles,  and  diag- 
onally opposite  each  other,  are  large  square  bastions,  so 
arranged  as  to  sweep  the  four  faces  of  the  walls. 

''This  post  belongs  to  the  American  Fur  Company,  and 
at  the  time  of  our  visit  was  in  charge  of  Mr.  Boudeau.  Two 
of  the  company's  clerks,  Messrs.  Galpin  and  Kellogg,  were 
with  him,  and  he  had  in  the  fort  about  sixteen  men.  As 
usual,  these  had  found  wives  among  the  Indian  squaws;  a!id 
with  the  usual  accompaniment  of  children,  the  place  had 
quite  a  populous  appearance.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say 
that  the  object  of  the  establishment  is  trade  with  the  neigh- 
boring tribes,  who,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  generally  make 
two  or  three  visits  to  the  fort.  In  addition  to  this,  traders, 
with  a  small  outfit,  are  constantly  kept  amongst  them. 
The  articles  of  trade  consist,  on  the  one  side,  almost  entirely 
of  buffalo  robes,  and  on  the  other  of  blankets,  calicoes,  guns, 
powder  and  lead,  with  such  cheap  ornaments  as  glass  beads, 
looking  glasses,  rings,  vermilion  for  painting,  tobacco,  and 
principally,  and  in  spite  of  the  prohibition,  of  spirits, 
brought  into  the  country  in  the  form  of  alcohol,  and  diluted 
with  water  before  sold.  While  mentioning  this  fact,  it  is 
but  justice  to  the  American  Fur  Company  to  state  that 
throughout  the  country  I  have  always  found  them  strenu- 
ously opposed  to  the  introduction  of  spirituous  liquors. 
But,  in  the  present  state  of  things,  when  the  country  is  sup- 
plied with  alcohol,  when  a  keg  of  it  will  purchase  from  an 
Indian  everything  he  possesses — his  furs,  his  lodge,  his 
horses,  and  even  his  wife  and  children — and  when  any  vaga- 
bond who  has  money  enough  to  purchase  a  mule  can  go  into 
a  village  and  trade  against  them  successfully,  without  with- 
drawing entirely  from  the  trade,  it  is  impossible  for  them 
to  discontinue  its  use.  In  their  opposition  to  this  practice 
the  country  is  sustained,  not  only  by  their  obligation  to  the 
laws  of  the  country  and  the  welfare  of  the  Indians,  but 
clearly,  also,  on  grounds  of  policy;  for  with  heavy  and  ex- 
pensive outfits,  they  contend  at  manifestly  great  disadvan- 
tages against  the  numerous  independent  and  unlicensed 
traders  who  enter  the  country  from  various  avenues,  from 
the  United  States  and  from  Mexico,  having  no  other  stock 
in  trade  than  some  kegs  of  liquor,  which  they  sell  at  the 


244  History  of  Wyoming. 

modest  price  of  thirty-six  dollars  per  gallon.  The  differ- 
ence between  the  regular  trader  and  the  coureur  des  hois 
is,  that  the  latter  has  no  permanent  interest,  and  gets  what 
he  can,  from  every  Indian  he  meets,  even  at  the  risk  of  dis- 
abling him  from  doing  anything  more  at  hunting. 

'The  fort  had  a  very  cool  and  clean  appearance.  The 
great  entrance,  in  which  I  found  the  gentlemen  assembled, 
and  which  was  floored,  and  about  fifteen  feet  long,  made  a 
pleasant,  shaded  seat,  through  which  the  breeze  swept  con- 
stantly; for  this  country  is  famous  for  high  winds.  In  the 
course  of  conversation  I  learned  the  following  particulars, 
which  will  explain  the  condition  of  the  country.  For  sev- 
eral years  the  Cheyennes  and  Sioux  had  gradually  become 
more  and  more  hostile  to  the  whites,  and  in  the  latter  part 
of  August,  1841,  had  had  a  severe  engagement  with  a  party 
of  sixty  men  under  command  of  Mr.  Frapp  of  St.  Louis.  The 
Indians  lost  eight  or  ten  warriors,  and  the  whites  had  their 
leader  and  four  men  killed.  This  fight  took  place  on  the 
waters  of  Snake  River;  and  it  was  this  party,  on  their  re- 
turn under  Mr.  Bridger,  which  had  spread  so  much  alarm 
ainong  my  people.  In  the  course  of  the  spring  two  other 
small  parties  had  been  cut  off  by  the  Sioux — one  on  their 
return  from  the  Crow  nation,  and  the  other  among  the 
Black  Hills.  The  emigrants  to  Oregon  and  Mr.  Bridger's 
party  met  here,  a  few  days  before  our  arrival.  Division 
and  misunderstandings  had  grown  up  among  them;  they 
were  already  somewhat  disheartened  by  the  fatigue  of  their 
long  and  wearisome  journey,  and  the  feet  of  their  cattle 
had  become  so  much  worn  as  to  be  scarcely  able  to  travel. 
In  this  situation  they  were  not  likely  to  find  encouragement 
in  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  Indians,  and  the  new  and  un- 
expected difficulties  which  sprang  up  before  them.  They 
were  told  that  the  entire  country  was  entirely  swept  of 
grass  and  that  few  or  no  buffalo  were  to  be  found  on  their 
line  of  route;  and,  with  their  weakened  animals,  it  would  be 
impossible  for  them  to  transport  their  heavy  wagons  over 
the  mountains.  Under  these  circumstances,  they  disposed 
of  their  wagons  and  cattle  at  the  forts,  selling  them  at  the 
prices  they  paid  in  the  states,  and  taking  in  exchange  coffee 
and  sugar  at  one  dollar  a  pound,  and  miserable  worn-out 
horses,  which  died  before  they  reached  the  mountains.  Mr. 
Boudeau  informed  me  that  he  had  purchased  thirty,  and  the 
lower  fort  eighty  head  of  fine  cattle,  some  of  them  of  the 
Durham  breed.  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  whose  name  and  high 
reputation  are  familiar  to  all  who  interest  themselves  in  the 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  245 

history  of  the  country,  had  reached  Laramie  in  company 
with  Mr.  Bridger,  and  the  emigrants  were  fortunate  enough 
to  obtain  his  services  to  guide  them  as  far  as  the  British 
post  of  Fort  Hall,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  beyond 
the  South  Pass  of  the  mountains.  They  had  started  for  this 
post  on  the  4th  of  July,  and  immediately  after  their  de- 
parture a  war  party  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  braves  set 
out  on  their  trail.  As  their  principal  chief  or  partisan  had 
lost  some  relations  in  the  recent  fight,  and  had  sworn  to  kill 
the  first  whites  on  his  path,  it  was  supposed  that  their  in- 
tention was  to  attack  the  party,  should  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity offer,  or,  if  they  were  foiled  in  their  principal  object 
by  the  vigilance  of  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  content  themselves  with 
stealing  horses  and  cutting  off  stragglers.  These  had  been 
gone  but  a  few  days  previous  to  our  arrival. 

"The  effect  of  the  engagement  with  Mr.  Frapp  had  been 
greatly  to  irritate  the  hostile  spirit  of  the  savages;  and  im- 
mediately subsequent  to  that  event,  the  Gros  Ventre  In- 
dians had  united  with  the  Ogalallas  and  Cheyennes  and 
taken  the  field  in  great  force — so  far  as  I  could  ascertain 
to  the  amount  of  eight  hundred  lodges.  Their  object  was 
to  make  an  attack  on  a  camp  of  Snake  and  Crow  Indians, 
and  a  body  of  about  one  hundred  whites,  who  had  made 
a  rendezvous  somewhere  in  the  Green  River  Valley,  or  on 
the  Sweetwater.  After  spending  some  time  in  buffalo  hunt- 
ing in  the  neighborhood  of  Medicine  Bow  Mountain,  they 
were  to  cross  over  to  the  Green  Kiver  waters  and  return  to 
Laramie  by  way  of  the  South  Pass  and  the  Sweetwater 
Valley.  According  to  the  calculation  of  the  Indians,  Mr. 
Boudeau  informed  me  that  they  were  somewhere  near  the 
head  of  the  Sweetwater.  I  subsequently  learned  that  the 
party  led  by  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  was  overtaken  by  their  pursu- 
ers near  Rock  Independence,  in  the  valley  of  the  Sweet- 
water; but  his  skill  and  resolution  saved  them  from  sur- 
prise, and,  small  as  his  force  was,  they  did  not  venture  to 
attack  him  openly.  Here  they  lost  one  of  their  party  by  an 
accident,  and  continuing  up  the  valley,  they  came  suddenly 
upon  the  large  village.  From  these  they  met  with  a  doubt- 
ful reception.  Long  residence  and  familiar  acquaintance 
had  given  to  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  great  personal  influence  among 
them  and  a  portion  of  them  were  disposed  to  let  him  pass 
quietly;  but  by  far  the  greater  number  were  inclined  to  hos- 
tile measures ;  and  the  chiefs  spent  the  whole  of  one  night, 
during  which  they  kept  the  little  party  in  the  midst  of  them, 
in  council,  debating  the  question  of  attacking  them  the  next 


246  History  of  Wyoming. 

day;  but  the  influence  of  the  'Broken  Hand,'  as  they  called 
Mr.  Fitzpatrick  (one  of  his  hands  having  been  shattered  by 
the  bursting  of  a  gun),  at  length  prevailed,  and  obtained  for 
them  an  unmolested  passage;  but  they  sternly  assured  him 
that  this  path  was  no  longer  open,  and  that  any  party  of 
whites  which  should  hereafter  be  found  upon  it  would  meet 
with  certain  destruction.  From  all  that  I  have  been  able 
to  learn,  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  emigrants  owe  their  lives 
to  Mr.  Fitzpatrick. 

"Thus  it  would  appear  that  the  country  was  swarming 
with  scattered  war  parties;  and  when  I  heard  during  the 
day  the  various  contradictory  and  exaggerated  rumors 
which  were  incessantly  repeated  to  them,  I  was  not  sur- 
prised that  so  much  alarm  prevailed  among  my  men,  Car- 
son, one  of  the  best  and  most  experienced  mountaineers, 
fully  supported  the  opinion  given  by  Bridger,  of  the  dan- 
gerous state  of  the  country,  and  openly  expressed  his  con- 
viction that  we  could  not  escape  without  some  sharp  en- 
counters with  the  Indians.  In  addition  to  this,  he  made 
his  will;  and  among  the  circumstances  which  were  con- 
stantly occurring  to  increase  their  alarm,  this  was  the  most 
unfortunate,  and  I  found  that  a  number  of  my  party  had 
become  so  much  intimidated  that  they  had  requested  to  be 
discharged  at  this  ylace.  I  dined  today  at  Fort  Platte, 
which  has  been  mentioned  as  situated  at  the  junction  of 
Laramie  River  with  the  Nebraska.  Here  I  heard  a  con- 
firmation of  the  statements  given  above.  The  party  of  war- 
riors which  had  started  a  few  days  since  on  the  trail  of  the 
emigrants  was  expected  back  in  fourteen  days,  to  join  their 
village,  with  which  their  families  and  the  old  men  had  re- 
mained. The  arrival  of  the  latter  was  hourly  expected;  and 
some  Indians  have  just  come  in  who  had  left  thenL,on  the 
Laramie  Fork,  about  twenty  miles  above.  Mr.  Bissonette, 
one  of  the  traders  belonging  to  Fort  Platte,  urged  the  pro- 
priety of  taking  with  me  an  interpreter  and  two  or  three 
old  men  of  the  village;  in  which  case,  he  thought,  there 
would  be  little  or  no  hazard  in  encountering  any  of  the  war 
parties.  The  principal  danger  was  in  being  attacked  before 
they  should  know  who  we  were. 

"They  had  confused  ideas  of  the  number  and  power  of 
our  people,  and  dreaded  to  bring  upon  themselves  the  mili- 
tary force  of  the  United  States.  This  gentleman,  who  spoke 
the  language  fluently,  ofl'ered  his  services  to  accompany  me 
80  far  as  the  Red  Buttes.  He  was  desirous  to  join  the  large 
party  on  its  return,  for  purposes  of  trade,  and  it  would  suit 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  247 

his  views  as  well  as  my  own  to  go  with  us  to  the  Buttes; 
beyond  which  point  it  would  be  impossible  to  prevail  on  a 
Sioux  to  venture,  on  account  of  their  fears  of  the  Crows. 
From  Fort  Laramie  to  the  Red  Buttes,  by  the  ordinary  road, 
is  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles;  and,  though  only  on 
the  threshold  of  danger,  it  seemed  better  to  secure  the  ser- 
vices of  an  interpreter  for  the  partial  distance  than  to  have 
none  at  all. 

"So  far  as  frequent  interruption  from  the  Indians 
would  allow,  we  occupied  ourselves  in  making  some  astro- 
nomical calculations,  and  bringing  up  the  general  map  to 
this  stage  of  our  journey;  but  the  tent  was  generally  occu- 
pied by  a  succession  of  our  ceremonious  visitors.  Some 
came  for  presents,  and  others  for  information  of  our  object 
in  coming  to  the  country;  now  and  then  one  would  dart  up 
to  the  tent  on  horseback,  jerk  off  his  trappings  and  stand 
silently  at  the  door,  holding  his  horse  by  the  halter,  signify- 
ing his  desire  to  trade.  Occasionally  a  savage  would  stalk 
in  with  an  invitation  to  a  feast  of  honor,  a  dog  feast,  and 
deliberately  sit  down  and  wait  quietly  until  I  was  ready  to 
accompany  him.  I  went  to  one;  the  women  and  children 
were  sitting  outside  the  lodge,  and  we  took  our  seats  on 
buffalo  robes  spread  around.  The  dog  was  in  a  large  pot 
over  the  fire,  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge,  and  immediately  on 
our  arrival  was  dished  up  in  large  wooden  bowls,  one  of 
which  was  handed  to  each.  The  flesh  appeared  very  glutin- 
ous, with  something  of  the  flavor  and  appearance  of  mutton. 
Feeling  something  move  behind  me,  I  looked  around  and 
found  that  I  had  taken  my  seat  among  a  litter  of  fat  young 
puppies.  Had  I  been  nice  in  such  matters,  the  prejudices  of 
civilization  might  have  interfered  with  my  tranquillity;  but 
fortunately  I  am  not  of  delicate  nerves  and  continued  qui- 
etly to  empty  my  platter. 

"The  morning  of  the  18th  was  cloudy  and  calm  and  dur- 
ing the  day  the  expected  village  arrived,  consisting  princi- 
pally of  old  men,  women  and  children.  They  had  a  consid- 
erable number  of  horses,  and  large  troops  of  dogs.  Their 
lodges  were  pitched  near  the  fort,  and  our  camp  was  con- 
stantly crowded  with  Indians  of  all  sizes,  from  morning 
until  night,  at  which  time  some  of  the  soldiers  generally 
came  to  drive  them  all  off  to  the  village.  My  tent  was  the 
only  place  which  they  respected.  Here  only  came  the  chiefs 
and  men  of  distinction,  and  generally  one  of  them  remained 
to  drive  away  the  women  and  children.  The  numerous 
strange  instruments  applied  to  still  stranger  uses  excited 


248  History  of  Wyoming. 

awe  and  admiration  among  them,  and  those  which  I  used 
in  talking  with  the  sun  and  stars  they  looked  upon  with  es- 
pecial reverence,  as  mysterious  things  of  'great  medicine/ 
Of  the  barometers  which  I  had  brought  with  me  thus  far 
successfully,  I  found  that  two  were  out  of  order,  and  spent 
the  greater  part  of  the  19th  in  repairing  them — an  operation 
of  no  small  difficulty  in  the  midst  of  the  incessant  interrup- 
tion to  which  I  was  subjected.  We  had  the  misfortune  to 
break  here  a  large  thermometer,  graduated  to  show  fifths 
of  a  degree,  which  I  used  to  ascertain  the  temperature  of 
boiling  water,  and  with  which  I  had  promised  myself  some 
interesting  experiments  in  the  mountains.  We  had  but  one 
remaining,  on  which  the  graduation  extended  sufficiently 
high;  and  this  was  too  small  for  exact  observations.  Dur- 
ing our  stay  here  the  men  had  been  engaged  in  making  nu- 
merous repairs,  arranging  pack  saddles,  and  otherwise  pre- 
paring for  the  chances  of  a  rough  road  and  mountain  travel. 
All  things  of  this  nature  being  ready,  I  gathered  them 
around  me  in  the  evening  and  told  them  that  I  determined 
to  proceed  the  next  day.  They  were  all  well  armed.  I  had 
engaged  the  services  of  Mr.  Bissonette  as  interpreter,  and 
had  taken,  in  the  circumstances,  every  possible  means  to 
insure  our  safety.  In  the  rumors  we  had  heard  I  believed 
there  was  much  exaggeration,  and  they  were  men  accus- 
tomed to  this  kind  of  life  and  to  the  country,  and  that  these 
were  the  dangers  of  every  day  occurrence,  and  to  be  ex- 
pected in  the  ordinary  course  of  their  service.  They  had 
heard  of  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  country  before  leav- 
ing St.  Louis,  and  therefore  could  not  make  it  a  reason  for 
breaking  their  engagements.  Still,  I  was  unwilling  to  take 
with  me,  on  a  service  of  some  certain  danger,  men  on  whom 
I  could  not  rely;  and  as  I  had  understood  that  there  were 
among  them  some  who  were  disposed  to  cowardice,  and 
anxious  to  return,  they  had  but  to  come  forward  at  once 
and  state  their  desire  and  they  would  be  discharged  with 
the  amount  due  to  them  for  the  time  they  had  served.  To 
their  honor  be  it  said,  there  was  but  one  among  them  who 
had  the  face  to  come  forward  and  avail  himself  of  the  per- 
mission. I  asked  him  some  few  questions,  in  order  to  expose 
him  to  the  ridicule  of  the  men,  and  let  him  go.  The  day 
after  our  departure  he  engaged  himself  to  one  of  the  forts, 
and  set  off  with  a  party  for  the  Upper  Missouri.  I  did  not 
think  that  the  situation  of  the  country  justified  me  in  taking 
our  young  companions,  Messrs.  Brant  and  Benton,  along 
with  us.    In  case  of  misfortune,  it  would  have  been  thought, 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  249 

at  the  least,  an  act  of  great  imprudence;  and  therefore, 
though  reluctantly,  1  determined  to  leave  them. 

"July  21. — A  portion  of  our  baggage,  with  our  field 
notes  and  observations,  and  several  instruments,  were  left 
at  the  fort.  One  of  the  gentlemen,  Mr.  Galpin,  took  charge 
of  a  barometer,  which  he  engaged  to  observe  during  my 
absence;  and  I  entrusted  to  Randolph,  by  way  of  occupa- 
tion, the  regular  winding  up  of  two  of  my  chronometers, 
which  were  among  the  instruments  left. 

"We  were  ready  to  depart;  the  tents  were  struck,  the 
mules  geared  up  and  our  horses  saddled,  and  we  walked  up 
to  the  fort  to  take  the  stirrup  cup  with  our  friends  in  an 
excellent  home-brewed  preparation.  While  thus  pleasantly 
engaged,  seated  in  one  of  the  cool  chambers,  at  the  door  of 
which  a  man  had  been  stationed  to  prevent  all  intrusion 
from  the  Indians,  a  number  of  chiefs,  several  of  the  power- 
ful, fine-looking  men,  forced  their  way  into  the  room  in 
spite  of  all  opposition.  Handing  me  the  following  letter, 
they  took  their  seats  in  silence : 

"  Tort  Platte,  July  1,  1842. 

"  'Mr.  Fremont :  The  chiefs  having  assembled  in  coun- 
cil, have  just  told  me  to  warn  you  not  to  set  out  before  the 
party  of  young  men  which  is  now  out  shall  have  returned. 
Furthermore,  they  tell  me  that  they  are  very  sure  they  will 
fire  upon  you  as  soon  as  they  meet  you.  They  are  expected 
back  in  seven  or  eight  days.  Excuse  me  for  making  these 
observations,  but  it  seems  my  duty  to  warn  you  of  danger. 
Moreover,  the  chiefs  who  prohibit  your  setting  out  before 
the  return  of  the  warriors  are  the  bearers  of  this  note. 
"  'I  am  vour  obedient  servant, 

"  'JOSEPH  BISSONETTE, 

"  'By  L.  B.  Chartrain. 

"  'Names  of  some  of  the  chiefs. — The  Otter  Hat,  The 
Breaker  of  Arrows,  The  Black  Night,  The  Bull's  Tail.' 

"After  reading  this,  I  mentioned  its  purport  to  my 
companions;  and  seeing  that  all  were  fully  possessed  of  its 
contents,  one  of  the  Indians  rose  up,  and,  having  first  shaken 
hands  with  me,  spoke  as  follows: 

"  'You  have  come  among  us  at  a  bad  time.  Some  of 
our  people  have  been  killed,  and  our  young  men,  who  have 
gone  to  the  mountains,  are  eager  to  avenge  the  blood  of 
their  relations,  which  has  been  shed  by  the  whites.  Our 
young  men  are  bad,  and,  if  they  meet  you,  they  will  believe 
that  you  are  carrying  goods  and  ammunition  to  their  ene- 
mies, and  will  fire  upon  you.     You  have  told  us  that  this 


2  50  History  of  Wyatning. 

will  make  war.  We  know  that  our  great  father  has  many 
soldiers  and  big  guns,  and  we  are  anxious  to  have  our  lives. 
We  love  the  whites,  and  are  desirous  of  peace.  Thinking  of 
all  these  things,  we  have  determined  to  keep  you  here  until 
our  warriors  return.  We  are  glad  to  see  you  among  us. 
Our  father  is  rich,  and  we  expected  that  you  would  have 
brought  presents  to  us — horses  and  guns  and  blankets.  But 
we  are  glad  to  see  you.  We  look  upon  your  coming  as  the 
light  which  goes  before  the  sun;  for  you  will  tell  our  great 
father  that  you  have  seen  us,  and  that  we  are  naked  and 
poor  and  have  nothing  to  eat;  and  he  will  send  us  all  these 
things.'  He  was  followed  by  the  others  to  the  same  effect. 
"The  observations  of  the  savages  appeared  reasonable; 
but  I  was  aware  that  they  had  in  view  only  the  present  ob- 
ject of  detaining  me,  and  were  unwilling  I  should  go  further 
into  the  country.  In  reply,  I  asked  them,  through  the  in- 
terpretation of  Mr.  Boudeau,  to  select  two  or  three  of  their 
number  to  accompany  us  until  we  should  meet  their  people; 
they  should  spread  their  robes  in  my  tent  and  eat  at  my 
table,  and  on  our  return  I  would  give  them  presents  in  re- 
ward for  their  services.  They  declined,  saying  that  there 
were  no  young  men  left  in  the  village;  and  that  they  were 
too  old  to  travel  so  many  days  on  horseback,  and  preferred 
now  to  smoke  their  pipes  in  the  lodge  and  let  the  warriors 
go  upon  the  war-path.  Besides,  they  had  no  power  over 
the  young  men,  and  were  afraid  to  interfere  with  them.  In 
my  turn,  I  addressed  them:  'You  say  that  you  love  the 
whites.  Why  have  you  killed  so  many  already  this  spring? 
You  say  you  love  the  whites  and  are  full  of  many  expres- 
sions of  friendship  to  us ;  but  you  are  not  willing  to  undergo 
the  fatigue  of  a  few  days'  ride  to  save  our  lives.  We  do  not 
believe  what  you  have  said  and  will  not  listen  to  you.  What- 
ever a  chief  among  us  tells  his  soldiers  to  do,  is  done.  We 
are  the  soldiers  of  the  great  chief,  your  father.  He  has  told 
us  to  come  here  and  see  this  country  and  all  the  Indians,  his 
children.  Why  should  we  not  go?  Before  we  came,  we 
heard  that  you  had  killed  his  people,  and  ceased  to  be  his 
children;  but  we  came  among  you  peaceably,  holding  out 
our  hands.  Now  we  find  that  the  stories  we  heard  are  not 
lies,  and  that  you  are  no  longer  his  friends  and  children. 
We  have  thrown  away  our  bodies,  and  will  not  turn  back. 
When  you  told  us  that  your  young  men  would  kill  us,  you 
did  not  know  that  our  hearts  were  strong,  and  you  did  not 
see  the  rifles  which  my  young  men  carry  in  their  hands.  We 
are  few,  and  you  are  many,  and  may  kill  us  all;  but  there 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  251 

will  be  much  crying  in  your  villages,  for  many  of  your 
young  men  will  stay  behind,  and  forget  to  return  with  your 
warriors  from  the  mountains.  Do  you  think  that  our  great 
chief  will  let  his  soldiers  die,  and  forget  to  cover  their 
graves?  Before  the  snows  melt  again,  his  warriors  will 
sweep  away  your  villages  as  the  fire  does  the  prairie  in  the 
autumn.  See!  I  have  pulled  down  my  white  houses,  and 
my  people  are  ready;  when  the  sun  is  ten  paces  higher,  we 
shall  be  on  the  march.  If  you  have  anything  to  tell  us,  you 
will  say  it  soon.' 

"I  broke  up  the  conference  as  I  could  do  nothing  with 
these  people,  and,  being  resolved  to  proceed,  nothing  was  to 
be  gained  by  delay.  Accompanied  by  our  hospitable  friends, 
we  returned  to  the  camp.  We  had  mounted  our  horses,  and 
our  parting  salutations  had  been  exchanged,  when  one  of 
the  chiefs  (The  Bull's  Tail)  arrived  to  tell  me  that  they  had 
determined  to  send  a  young  man  with  us;  and  if  I  would 
point  out  the  place  of  our  evening  camp,  he  should  join  us 
there.  'The  young  man  is  poor,'  said  he;  'he  has  no  horse 
and  expects  you  to  give  him  one.'  I  described  to  him  the 
place  where  I  intended  to  encamp,  and  shaking  hands,  in  a 
few  minutes  we  were  among  the  hills,  and  this  last  habita- 
tion of  whites  shut  out  from  our  view. 

"The  road  led  over  an  interesting  plateau  between  the 
North  Fork  of  the  Platte  on  the  right  and  the  Laramie 
River  on  the  left.  At  the  distance  of  ten  miles  from  the 
fort,  we  entered  the  sandy  bed  of  a  creek,  a  kind  of  defile, 
shaded  by  precipitous  rocks,  down  which  we  wound  our 
way  for  several  hundred  yards  to  a  place  where,  on  the  left 
bank,  a  very  large  spring  gushes  with  considerable  noise 
and  force  out  of  the  limestone  rock.  It  is  called  'the  Warm 
Spring,'  and  furnishes  to  the  hitherto  dry  bed  of  the  creek 
a  considerable  rivulet.  On  the  opposite  side,  a  little  below 
the  spring,  is  a  lofty  limestone  escarpment,  partially  shaded 
by  a  grove  of  large  trees,  whose  green  foliage,  in  contrast 
with  the  whiteness  of  the  rock,  renders  this  a  picturesque 
locality.  The  rock  is  fossiliferous,  and,  so  far  as  I  was  able 
to  determine  the  character  of  the  fossils,  belongs  to  the 
carboniferous  limestone  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  is  prob- 
ably the  western  limit  of  that  formation.  Beyond  this 
point  I  met  with  no  fossils  of  any  description. 

"I  was  desirous  to  visit  the  Platte  near  the  point  where 
it  leaves  the  Black  Hills,  and  therefore  followed  this  stream 
for  two  or  three  miles,  to  the  mouth ;  where  I  encamped  on 
a  spot  which  afforded  good  grass  for  our  animals.     Our 


252  History  of  Wyoming. 

tents  having  been  found  too  thin  to  i^rotect  ourselves  and 
the  instruments  from  the  rain,  which  in  this  elevated  coun- 
try is  attended  with  cold  and  unpleasant  weather,  I  had 
procured  from  the  Indians  at  Laramie  a  tolerably  large 
lodge,  about  eighteen  feet  in  diameter  and  twenty  feet  in 
height.  Such  a  lodge,  when  properly  pitched,  is,  from  its 
conical  form,  almost  perfectly  secure  against  the  violent 
winds  which  are  frequent  in  this  region,  and,  with  a>  fire  in 
the  center,  is  a  dry  and  warm  shelter  in  bad  weather.  By 
raising  the  lower  part  so  as  to  permit  the  breeze  to  pass 
freely,  it  is  converted  into  a  pleasant  summer  residence, 
with  the  extraordinary  advantage  of  being  entirely  free 
from  mosquitoes,  one  of  which  I  have  never  seen  in  an  In- 
dian lodge.  While  we  were  engaged  very  unskillfully  in 
erecting  this,  the  interpreter,  Mr.  Bissonette,  arrived,  ac- 
companied by  the  Indian  and  his  wife.  She  laughed  at  our 
awkwardness,  and  offered  her  assistance,  of  which  we  were 
frequently  afterward  obliged  to  avail  ourselves,  before  the 
men  acquired  sufficient  expertness  to  pitch  it  without  diffi- 
culty. From  this  place  we  had  a  very  fine  view  of  the  gorge 
where  the  Platte  issues  from  the  Black  Hills,  changing  its 
character  abruptly  from  a  mountain  stream  into  a  river  of 
the  plains.  Immediately  around  us  the  valley  of  the  stream 
was  tolerably  open,  and  at  the  distance  of  a  few  miles, 
where  the  river  had  cut  its  way  through  the  hills,  was  a 
narrow  cleft,  on  one  side  of  which  a  lofty  precipice  of  bright 
red  rose  vertically  above  the  low  hills  which  lay  between  us. 
"July  22. — In  the  morning,  while  breakfast  was  being 
prepared,  I  visited  this  place  with  my  favorite  man,  Basil 
Lajeunesse.  Entering  so  far  as  there  was  footing  for  the 
mules,  we  dismounted,  and,  tying  our  animals,  continued 
our  way  on  foot.  Like  the  whole  country,  the  scenery  of 
the  river  had  undergone  an  entire  change  and  was  in  this 
place  the  most  beautiful  I  have  ever  seen.  The  breadth  of 
the  stream,  generally  near  that  of  its  valley,  was  from  two 
to  three  hundred  feet,  with  a  swift  current,  occasionally 
broken  by  rapids,  and  the  water  perfectly  clear.  On  either 
side  rose  the  red  precipices,  vertical,  and  sometimes  over- 
hanging, two  and  four  hundred  feet  in  height,  crowned 
with  green  summits  on  which  were  scattered  a  few  pines. 
At  the  foot  of  the  rocks  was  the  usual  detritus,  formed  of 
masses  fallen  from  above.  Among  the  pines  that  grew 
here,  and  on  the  occasional  banks,  were  the  cherry,  currants 
and  the  grains  de  boeuf .  Viewed  in  the  sunshine  of  a  pleas- 
ant morning,  the  scenery  was  of  a  most  striking  and  roman- 


Fremont- s  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  253 

tic  beauty,  which  arose  from  the  picturesque  distribution  of 
the  objects  and  the  vivid  contrast  of  colors.  I  thought  with 
great  pleasure  of  our  approaching  descent  in  the  canoe 
through  such  interesting  places;  and,  in  the  expectation  of 
being  able  at  that  time  to  give  to  them  a  full  examination, 
did  not  now  dwell  so  much  as  might  have  been  desirable 
upon  the  geological  formations  along  the  line  of  the  river, 
where  they  are  developed  with  great  clearness.  The  upper 
portion  of  the  red  sandstone  consists  of  a  very  compact 
clay,  in  which  are  occasionally  seen  imbedded  large  pebbles. 
Below  was  a  stratum  of  compact  red  sandstone,  changing 
a  little  above  the  river  into  a  very  hard  silicious  limestone. 
There  is  a  small  but  handsome  prairie  immediately  below 
this  place,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  which  would  be  a 
good  locality  for  a  military  post.  There  are  some  open 
groves  of  cottonwood  on  the  Platte.  The  small  stream 
which  comes  in  at  this  place  is  well  timbered  with  pine,  and 
good  building  rock  is  abundant. 

"If  it  is  in  contemplation  to  keep  open  the  communica- 
tions with  Oregon  territory,  a  show  of  military  force  in  this 
country  is  absolutely  necessary;  and  a  combination  of  ad- 
vantages renders  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Laramie  the 
most  suitable  place,  on  the  line  of  the  Platte,  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  military  post.  It  is  connected  with  the  mouth 
of  the  Platte  and  the  Upper  Missouri  by  excellent  roads, 
which  are  in  frequent  use,  and  would  not  in  any  way  inter- 
fere with  the  range  of  the  buffalo,  on  which  the  neighboring 
Indians  mainly  depend  for  support.  It  would  render  any 
posts  on  the  Lower  Platte  unnecessary;  the  ordinary  com- 
munication between  it  and  the  Missouri  being  sufficient 
to  control  the  intermediate  Indians.  It  would  operate  effec- 
tually to  prevent  any  such  coalitions  as  are  now  formed 
among  the  Gros  Ventres,  Sioux,  Cheyennes  and  other  Indi- 
ans, and  would  keep  the  Oregon  road  through  the  valley  of 
the  Sweetwater  and  the  South  Pass  of  the  mountains  con- 
stantly open.  A  glance  at  the  map  which  accompanies  this 
report  will  show  that  it  lies  at  the  foot  of  a  broken  and 
mountainous  region,  along  which,  by  the  establishment  of 
small  posts  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Vrain's  fort,  on  the 
South  Fork  of  the  Platte,  and  Bent's  fort,  on  the  Arkansas, 
a  line  of  communication  would  be  formed,  by  good  wagon 
roads,  with  our  southern  military  posts,  which  would  en- 
tirely command  the  mountain  passes,  hold  some  of  the  most 
troublesome  tribes  in  check,  and  protect  and  facilitate  our 
intercourse  with  the  neighboring  Spanish  settlements.    The 


254  History  of  Wyoming. 

valleys  of  the  rivers  on  which  they  would  be  situated  are 
fertile;  the  country,  which  supports  immense  herds  of  buf- 
falo, is  admirably  adapted  to  grazing,  and  herds  of  cattle 
might  be  maintained  by  the  posts,  or  obtained  from  the 
Spanish  country,  which  already  supplies  a  portion  of  their 
provisions  to  the  trading  posts  mentioned  above." 

The  party  camped  that  night  at  the  mouth  of  Horse- 
shoe Creek,  and  the  following  night  on  the  Platte  a  short 
distance  south  and  east  of  what  is  now  known  as  Orin  Junc- 
tion. On  the  25th  camp  was  made  on  the  Platte  a  few  miles 
above  where  Fort  Fetterman  was  afterwards  built.  The 
next  night  they  camped  in  a  rocky  glen,  now  known  as  Glen- 
rock.  On  the  night  of  the  27th  camp  was  made  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  where  Caspar  now  stands.  This  camp  is  somewhat  in 
dispute  among  old-timers  on  account  of  the  language  used 
by  Fremont  in  his  journal  after  leaving  the  encampment  of 
the  27th. 

"July  28. — In  two  miles  from  our  encampment  we 
reached  the  place  where  the  regular  road  crosses  the  Platte. 
There  was  two  hundred  feet  breadth  of  water  at  this  time  in 
the  bed,  which  has  a  variable  width  of  eight  to  fifteen  hun- 
dred feet.  The  channels  were  generally  three  feet  deep, 
and  there  were  large  angular  rocks  on  the  bottom,  which 
made  the  ford  in  some  places  a  little  difficult.  Even  at  its 
low  stage  the  river  cannot  be  crossed  at  random,  and  this 
has  always  been  used  as  the  best  ford.  The  low  stage  of 
the  waters  the  present  year  had  made  it  fordable  in  almost 
any  part  of  its  course,  where  access  could  be  had  to  its  bed." 

It  will  be  observed  that  Fremont  says  that  he  crossed 
where  the  regular  road  crosses  the  Platte.  Now,  as  there 
were  three  regular  crossings — one  five  miles  below  Caspar; 
another  two  miles  above  that  town,  and  still  another  five 
miles  above,  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  determine  which  of 
these  three  crossings  was  used  by  the  party.  The  men  who 
went  over  the  Overland  Trail  in  the  forties  inform  me  that 
the  lower  crossing  was  not  a  good  one,  as  quicksand  was  en- 
countered. The  one  two  miles  above  Caspar  was  somewhat 
better,  but  there  was  no  rock  in  the  river.  The  upper  cross- 
ing was  a  hard,  rocky  bottom  and  answers  Fremont's  de- 
scription, and  old-timers  have  assured  me  that  Fremont 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  255 

must  have  crossed  at  this  point.    What  happened  the  party 
on  the  28th  of  July  is  reserved  for  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

FREMONT'S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  WYOMING— [Continued.] 

Meets  a  Band  of  Ogalalla  Sioux — Discouraging  Reports  of  the  Con- 
dition OF  the  Country — Severe  Drought  and  a  Grasshopper 
Plague — Advised  to  Give  Up  the  Expedition — Boldly  Pushes 
Forward — Journey  Up  the  Sw^eetwater — Crosses  South  Pass — 
Penetrates  the  Wind  River  Range — Climbs  Fremont's  Peak — 
The  Return  Journey — Engraves  a  Cross  on  Independence  Rock — 
More  Carefully  Explores  the.  North  Platte — Returns  to  Fort 
Laramie — Follows  the  Platte  to  the  Missouri — Goes  Down  the 
Missouri  in  a  Ten-Oared  Boat — Arrives  at  St.  Louis. 

In  the  last  chapter  the  crossing  of  the  North  Platte 
was  noted.  Four  miles  beyond  the  ford  the  party  met  a 
band  of  Ogalalla  Sioux,  who  gave  a  gloomy  account  of  the 
country  beyond,  reporting  a  great  drought  prevailed,  and 
also  that  grasshoppers  had  swept  over  the  country  so  that 
there  was  scarcely  a  blade  of  grass  to  be  seen,  and  there  was 
not  a  buffalo  in  the  whole  region.  The  Indians  had  been 
brought  to  the  point  of  starvation  and  were  obliged  to  eat 
their  horses.  Hearing  these  discouraging  reports,  Mr.  Bi- 
sonette  urged  Fremont  to  turn  back,  as  it  would  be  danger- 
ous to  go  forward.    Fremont  says: 

"In  reply,  I  called  up  my  men  and  communicated  to 
them  fully  the  information  I  had  just  received.  I  then  ex- 
pressed to  them  my  fixed  determination  to  proceed  to  the 
end  of  the  enterprise  on  which  I  had  been  sent;  but  as  the 
situation  of  the  country  gave  me  some  reason  to  apprehend 
that  it  might  be  attended  with  an  unfortunate  result  to 
some  of  us,  I  would  leave  it  optional  with  them  to  continue 
with  me  or  to  return.  Among  them  were  some  five  or  six 
who  I  knew  would  remain.  We  had  still  ten  days'  provis- 
ions, and  should  no  game  be  found  when  this  stock  was  ex- 


2 $6  History  of  Wyoming. 

hausted,  we  had  our  horses  and  mules,  which  we  could  eat 
when  other  means  of  subsistence  failed.  But  not  a  man 
flinched  from  the  undertaking.  'We'll  eat  the  mules/  said 
Basil  Lajeunesse,  and  thereupon  we  shook  hands  with  our 
interpreter  and  his  Indians,  and  parted.  With  them  I  sent 
back  one  of  my  men,  Dumes,  whom  the  effects  of  an  old 
wound  in  the  leg  rendered  incapable  of  continuing  the  jour- 
ney on  foot,  and  his  horse  seemed  on  the  point  of  giving  out. 
Having  resolved  to  disencumber  ourselves  of  everything 
not  absolutely  necessary  to  our  future  operations,  I  turned 
directly  in  towards  the  river  and  encamped  on  the  left  bank, 
a  little  above  the  place  where  our  council  had  been  held, 
and  where  a  thick  grove  of  willows  offered  a  suitable  spot 
for  the  object  I  had  in  view. 

'*The  carts  having  been  discharged,  the  covers  and 
wheels  were  taken  off,  and,  with  the  frames,  carried  into 
some  low  places  among  the  willows  and  concealed  in  the 
dense  foliage  in  such  a  manner  that  the  glitter  of  the  iron 
work  might  not  attract  the  observation  of  some  straggling 
Indian.  In  the  sand  which  had  been  blown  up  into  waves 
among  the  willows,  a  large  hole  was  dug,  ten  feet  square, 
and  six  deep.  In  the  meantime,  all  our  effects  had  been 
spread  out  upon  the  ground,  and  whatever  was  designed  to 
be  carried  along  with  us  separated  and  laid  aside,  and  the 
remaining  part  carried  to  the  hole  and  carefully  covered  up. 
As  much  as  possible,  all  traces  of  our  proceedings  were  ob- 
literated, and  it  wanted  but  a  rain  to  render  our  cache  safe 
beyond  discovery.  All  the  men  were  now  set  to  work  to 
arrange  the  pack  saddles  and  make  up  the  packs.  The  day 
was  very  warm  and  calm  and  the  sky  entirely  clear,  except 
where,  as  usual  along  the  summits  of  the  mountainous 
ridge  opposite,  the  clouds  had  congregated  in  masses.  Our 
lodge  had  been  planted,  and  on  account  of  the  heat,  the 
ground  pins  had  been  taken  out  and  the  lower  part  slightly 
raised.  Near  to  it  was  standing  the  barometer,  which  swung 
in  a  tripod  frame,  and  within  the  lodge,  where  a  small  fire 
had  been  built,  Mr.  Preuss  was  occupied  in  observing  the 
temperature  of  boiling  water.  At  the  instant,  and  without 
any  warning  until  it  was  within  fifty  yards,  a  violent  gust 
of  wind  dashed  down  the  lodge,  burying  under  it  Mr.  Preuss 
and  a  dozen  men,  who  had  attempted  to  keep  it  from  being 
carried  away.  I  succeeded  in  saving  the  barometer,  which 
the  lodge  was  carrying  off  with  itself,  but  the  thermometer 
was  broken. 

"July  29. — All   our  arrangements   having  been    com- 


FREMONT'S  SPEECH  TO  INDIANS  AT  FORT  LARAMIE. 
{See  Page  sjo.) 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  257 

pleted,  we  left  the  encampment  at  7  o'clock  this  morning. 
In  this  vicinity  the  ordinary  road  leaves  the  Platte  and 
crosses  over  to  the  Sweetwater  River,  which  it  strikes  near 
Rock  Independence.  Instead  of  following  this  road,  I  had 
determined  to  keep  the  immediate  valley  of  the  Platte  so 
far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Sweetwater,  in  the  expectation  of 
finding  better  grass.  To  this  I  was  further  prompted  by  the 
nature  of  my  instructions.  To  Mr.  Carson  was  assigned  the 
oflQce  of  guide,  as  we  had  now  reached  a  part  of  the  country 
with  which,  or  a  great  part  of  which,  long  residence  had 
made  him  familiar.  In  a  few  miles  we  reached  Red  Buttes, 
a  famous  landmark  in  this  country,  whose  geological  com- 
position is  red  sandstone,  limestone  and  calcareous  sand- 
stone and  pudding  stone.  The  river  here  cuts  its  way 
through  a  ridge;  on  the  eastern  side  of  it  are  lofty  escarp- 
ments of  red  argillaceous  sandstone,  which  are  called  the 
Red  Buttes.  In  this  passage  the  stream  is  not  much  com- 
pressed or  pent-up,  there  being  a  bank  of  considerable 
though  variable  breadth  on  either  side.  Immediately  on 
entering,  we  discovered  a  band  of  buffalo.  The  hunters 
failed  to  kill  any  of  them,  the  leading  hunter  being  thrown 
into  a  ravine,  which  occasioned  some  delay,  and  in  the 
meantime  the  herd  clambered  up  the  steep  face  of  the  ridge. 
It  is  sometimes  wonderful  to  see  these  apparently  clumsy 
animals  make  their  way  up  and  down  the  most  rugged  and 
broken  precipices.  We  halted  to  noon  before  we  had 
cleared  this  passage,  at  a  spot  twelve  miles  distant  from 
Cache  Camp,  where  we  found  an  abundance  of  grass.  So 
far  the  account  of  the  Indians  was  found  to  be  false.  On  the 
banks  were  willow  and  cherry  trees.  The  cherries  were  not 
ripe,  but  in  the  thickets  were  numerous  fresh  tracks  of  the 
grizzly  bear,  which  are  very  fond  of  this  fruit.  The  soil 
here  is  red,  the  composition  being  derived  from  the  red 
sandstone.  About  seven  miles  brought  us  through  the 
ridge,  in  which  the  course  of  the  river  is  north  and  south. 
Here  the  valley  opens  out  broadly  and  the  high  walls  of  the 
red  formation  present  themselves  among  the  hills  to  the 
east.  We  crossed  here  a  pretty  little  creek,  an  affluent  of 
the  right  bank.  It  is  well  timbered  with  cotton  wood  in 
this  vicinity,  and  the  absinthe  has  lost  its  shrub-like  char- 
acter and  becomes  small  trees  six  and  eight  feet  in  height 
and  sometimes  eight  inches  in  diameter.  Two  or  three 
miles  above  this  creek  we  made  our  encampment,  having 
traveled  today  twenty-five  miles.  Our  animals  fared  well 
here,  as  there  is  an  abundance  of  grass.  The  river  bed  is 
-{17) 


258  History  of  Wyoming. 

made  up  of  pebbles,  and  in  the  bank,  at  the  level  of  the 
water,  is  a  conglomerate  of  coarse  pebbles  about  the  size 
of  ostrich  eggs,  and  which  I  remarked  in  the  banks  of  Lara- 
mie Fork.  It  is  overlaid  by  a  soil  of  mixed  clay  and  sand 
six  feet  thick. 

"July  30. — After  traveling  about  twelve  miles  this 
morning  we  reached  a  place  where  the  Indian  village  had 
crossed  the  river.  Here  were  the  poles  of  discarded  lodgea 
and  skeletons  of  horses  lying  about.  Mr.  Carson,  who  had 
never  been  higher  up  than  this  point  on  the  river,  which 
has  the  character  of  being  exceedingly  rugged  and  walled 
in  by  precipices  above,  thought  it  advisable  to  camp  near  the 
place,  where  we  were  certain  of  obtaining  grass,  and  tomor- 
row make  our  crossing  among  the  rugged  hills  to  the  Sweet- 
water river.  Accordingly  we  turned  back  and  descended 
the  river  to  an  island  near  by,  which  was  about  twenty 
acres  in  size,  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  grass.  The 
formation  here  I  found  highly  interesting.  Immediately  at 
this  island  the  river  is  again  shut  up  in  the  rugged  hills, 
which  come  down  to  it  from  the  main  ridge  in  a  succession 
of  spurs  three  or  four  hundred  feet  high,  and  alternated 
with  green  level  meadows,  bordered  on  the  river  banks  with 
thickets  of  willow,  and  having  many  plants  to  interest  the 
traveler.  The  island  lies  between  two  of  these  ridges,  three 
or  four  hundred  yards  apart,  of  which  that  on  the  right 
bank  is  composed  entirely  of  red  argillaceous  sandstone 
with  thin  layers  of  fibrous  gypsum.  On  the  left  bank  the 
ridge  is  composed  entirely  of  silicious  pudding  stone,  the 
pebbles  in  the  numerous  strata  increasing  in  size  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom,  where  they  are  as  large  as  a  man's  head. 
So  far  as  I  was  able  to  determine,  these  strata  incline  to  the 
northeast,  with  a  dip  of  about  15°.  This  pudding  stone,  or 
conglomerate  formation,  I  was  enabled  to  trace  through  an 
extended  range  of  country,  from  a  few  miles  east  of  the 
meridian  of  Fort  Laramie  to  where  I  found  it  superposed 
on  the  granite  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  longitude  109°. 
From  its  appearance,  the  main  chain  of  the  Laramie  moun- 
tain is  composed  of  this." 

On  the  morning  of  the  31st  the  explorers  left  the  Platte 
and  crossed  over  to  the  Sweetwater.  On  August  1st  they 
reached  Independence  Eock,  of  which  Fremont  says: 

"The  hunters  went  ahead  this  morning,  as  buffalo  ap- 
peared tolerably  abundant,  and  I  was  desirous  to  secure  a 
small  stock  of  provisions;  and  we  moved  about  seven  miles 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  259 

up  the  valley  and  encamped  one  mile  below  Rock  Inde- 
pendence. This  is  an  isolated  granite  rock,  about  six  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  long  and  forty  in  height.  Except  in  a 
depression  of  the  summit,  where  a  little  soil  supports  a 
scanty  growth  of  shrubs,  with  a  solitary  dwarf  pine,  it  is 
entirely  bare.  Everywhere  within  six  or  eight  feet  of  the 
ground,  where  the  surface  is  suflBciently  smooth,  and  in 
some  places  sixty  or  eighty  feet  above,  the  rock  is  inscribed 
with  the  names  of  travelers.  Many  a  name  famous  in  the 
history  of  this  country,  and  some  well  known  to  science, 
are  to  be  found  mixed  among  those  of  the  traders  and  of 
travelers  for  pleasure  and  curiosity,  and  of  missionaries 
among  the  savages.  Some  of  these  have  been  washed  away 
by  the  rain,  but  the  greater  number  are  still  very  legible." 

The  first  mention  I  can  find  of  this  rock  is  by  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Parker,  who  visited  it  on  the  7th  of  August,  1885.  He, 
like  Fremont,  calls  it  Rock  Independence.  He  says:  "This 
rock  takes  its  name  from  the  circumstance  of  a  company  of 
fur  traders  suspending  their  journey  and  here  observing, 
in  due  form,  the  anniversary  of  our  national  freedom."  I 
have  talked  with  many  old  trappers  and  traders,  and  none 
of  them  are  able  to  fix  the  date  of  the  naming  of  this  rock. 
Jim  Baker  tells  me  that  Captain  Bonneville  named  it,  but 
of  this  he  had  no  personal  knowledge.  The  numerous  names 
which  Fremont  found  on  the  rock  would  indicate  that  it  had 
long  been  known  to  white  men. 

After  remaining  in  camp  one  night  below  Indepen- 
dence Rock,  Fremont's  party  pushed  on  west  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  second,  passed  Devil's  Gate  and  encamped  eight 
miles  beyond.  They  continued  their  course  up  the  Sweet- 
water and  on  the  6th  passed  through  the  canon,  the  upper 
end  of  which  is  ten  miles  below  where  Lewiston  is  now  loca- 
ted, and  that  evening  camped  on  a  small  stream  since  called 
the  Strawberry.  The  next  morning  they  again  turned  to  the 
Sweetwater  and  crossed  the  ridge  where  the  Burr  mine  is 
now  located.  They  made  one  more  camp  before  crossing 
the  Continental  Divide,  and  the  next  day  found  them  on  the 
west  side  of  South  Pass. 

They  camped  that  night  on  the  first  Newforkjuow  known 
as  Eastfork.     Fremont  says:     "Near  our  camp  were  two 


26o  History  of  Wyoming. 

remarkable  isolated  hills,  one  of  them  sufficiently  large  to 
merit  the  name  of  mountain."  W.  O.  Owen,  who  some  years 
ago  was  engaged  in  making  a  government  survey  in  that  lo- 
cality, identifies  the  spot  as  Section  27,  Township  32,  Range 
107.  From  this  point  on  until  the  party  returned  from  the 
summit  of  Fremont's  Peak,  I  will  copy  from  the  journal : 

"August  10. — The  air  at  sunrise  is  clear  and  pure,  and 
the  morning  extremely  cold  but  beautiful.  A  lofty  snow 
peak  of  the  mountain  is  glittering  in  the  first  rays  of  the 
sun,  which  has  not  yet  reached  us.  The  long  mountain  wall 
to  the  east,  rising  two  thousand  feet  abruptly  from  the 
*  plain,  behind  which  we  see  the  peaks,  is  still  dark,  and  cuts 
clear  against  the  glowing  sky.  A  fog,  just  risen  from  the 
river,  lies  along  the  base  of  the  mountain.  A  little  before 
sunrise  the  thermometer  was  at  35°,  and  at  sunrise  33°. 
Water  froze  last  night,  and  fires  are  very  comfortable.  The 
scenery  becomes  hourly  more  interesting  and  grand,  and 
the  view  here  is  truly  magnificent;  but,  indeed,  it  needed 
something  to  repay  the  long  prairie  journey  of  a  thousand 
miles.  The  sun  has  just  shot  above  the  wall  and  makes  a 
magical  change.  The  whole  valley  is  glowing  and  bright, 
and  all  the  mountain  peaks  are  gleaming  like  silver. 
Though  these  snow  mountains  are  not  the  Alps,  they  have 
their  own  character  of  grandeur  and  magnificence,  and  will 
doubtless  find  pens  and  pencils  to  do  them  justice.  In  the 
scene  before  us,  we  feel  how  much  wood  improves  a  view. 
The  pines  on  the  mountain  seem  to  give  it  much  more  ad- 
ditional beauty.  I  was  agreeably  disappointed  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  streams  on  this  side  of  the  ridge.  Instead  of  the 
creeks,  which  description  had  led  me  to  expect,  I  find  bold, 
broad  streams,  with  three  or  four  feet  of  water  and  a  rapid 
current.  The  fork  on  which  we  are  encamped  is  upwards 
of  a  hundred  feet  wide,  with  groves  or  thickets  of  the  low 
willow.  We  were  now  approaching  the  loftiest  part  of  the 
Wind  River  chain;  and  I  left  the  valley  a  few  miles  from 
our  encampment,  intending  to  penetrate  the  mountains  as 
far  as  possible  with  the  whole  party.  We  were  soon  in- 
volved in  very  broken  ground,  among  long  ridges  covered 
with  fragments  of  granite.  Winding  our  way  up  a  long 
ravine,  we  came  unexpectedly  in  view  of  a  most  beautiful 
lake,  set  like  a  gem  in  the  mountains.  The  sheet  of  water 
lay  transversely  across  the  direction  we  had  been  pursuing ; 
and,  descending  the  steep  rocky  ridge,  where  it  was  neces- 
sary to  lead  our  horses,  we  followed  its  banks  to  the  south- 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoniing.  261 

ern  extremity.  Here  a  view  of  the  utmost  magnificence 
and  grandeur  burst  upon  our  eyes.  With  nothing  between 
us  and  their  feet  to  lessen  the  whole  height,  a  grand  bed  of 
snow  capped  mountains  rose  before  us,  pile  upon  pile,  glow- 
ing in  the  bright  light  of  an  August  day.  Immediately  be- 
low them  lay  the  lake,  between  two  ridges,  covered  with 
dark  pines,  which  swept  down  from  the  main  chain  to  the 
spot  where  we  stood.  Here,  where  the  lake  glittered  in  the 
open  sunlight,  its  banks  of  yellow  sand  and  the  light  foliage 
of  aspen  groves  contrasted  well  with  the  gloomy  pines. 
'Never  before,'  said  Mr.  Preuss,  'in  this  country  or  in  Europe, 
have  I  seen  such  magnificent,  grand  rocks.'  I  was  so  much 
pleased  with  the  beauty  of  the  place  that  I  determined  to 
make  the  main  camp  here,  where  our  animals  would  find 
good  pasturage,  and  explore  the  mountains  with  a  small 
party  of  men.  Proceeding  a  little  further,  we  came  sud- 
denly upon  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  where  it  found  its  way 
through  a  narrow  passage  between  low  hills.  Dark  pines, 
which  overhung  the  stream,  and  masses  of  rock,  where  the 
water  foamed  along,  gave  it  much  romantic  beauty.  Where 
we  crossed,  which  was  immediately  at  the  outlet,  it  is  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  and  so  deep  that  with  difficulty 
we  were  able  to  ford  it.  Its  head  was  an  accumulation  of 
rocks,  boulders  and  broad  slabs,  and  large  angular  frag- 
ments, among  which  the  animals  fell  repeatedly. 

"The  current  was  very  swift  and  the  water  cold  and  of 
a  crystal  purity.  In  crossing  this  stream,  I  met  with  a  great 
misfortune  in  having  my  barometer  broken.  It  was  the 
only  one.  A  great  part  of  the  interest  of  the  journey  for 
me  was  in  the  exploration  of  these  mountains,  of  which  so 
much  has  been  said  that  was  doubtful  and  contradictory; 
and  now  their  snowy  peaks  rose  majestically  before  me, 
and  the  only  means  of  giving  them  authentically  to  science, 
the  object  of  my  anxious  solicitude  by  night  and  day,  was 
destroyed.  We  had  brought  this  barometer  in  safety  a 
thousand  miles,  and  broke  it  almost  among  the  snow  of  the 
mountains.  The  loss  was  felt  by  the  whole  camp — all  had 
seen  my  anxiety  and  aided  me  in  preserving  it.  The  height 
of  these  mountains,  considered  by  the  hunters  and  traders 
the  highest  in  the  whole  range,  had  been  a  them*^  of  con- 
stant discussion  among  them;  and  all  had  looked  forward 
with  pleasure  to  the  moment  when  the  instrument,  which 
they  believed  to  be  as  true  as  the  sun,  should  stand  upon 
its  summits  and  decide  their  disputes.  Their  grief  was  only 
inferior  to  my  own. 


262  History  of  Wyoming. 

"This  lake  is  about  three  miles  long  and  of  very  irregu- 
lar width,  and  of  apparently  great  depth,  and  is  the  head- 
water of  the  third  Newfork,  and  a  tributary  to  Green  River, 
the  Colorado  of  the  west.  On  the  map  and  in  the  narrative 
I  have  called  it  Mountain  Lake.*  I  encamped  on  the  north 
side,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the  outlet. 
This  was  the  most  western  point  at  which  I  obtained  astro- 
nomical observations,  by  which  this  place,  called  Bernier'a 
Encampment,  is  made  in  110°  08'  03''  west  longitude  from 
Greenwich,  and  latitude  42°  49'  49".  The  mountain  peaks, 
as  laid  down,  were  fixed  by  bearings  from  this  and  other 
astronomical  points.  We  had  no  other  compass  than  the 
small  one  used  in  sketching  the  country;  but  from  an  azi- 
muth, in  which  one  of  them  was  used,  the  variation  of  the 
compass  is  18°  east.  The  correction  made  in  our  field  work 
by  the  astronomical  observation  indicates  that  this  is  a  very 
correct  observation. 

"As  soon  as  the  camp  was  formed,  I  set  about  endeavor- 
ing to  repair  my  barometer.  As  I  have  already  said,  this 
w^as  a  standard  cistern-barometer  of  Troughton's  construc- 
tion. The  glass  cistern  had  been  broken  about  midway;  but 
as  the  instrument  had  been  kept  in  a  proper  position,  no  air 
had  found  its  way  into  the  tube,  the  end  of  which  had  al- 
ways remained  covered.  I  had  with  me  a  number  of  vials  of 
tolerably  thick  glass,  some  of  which  were  of  the  same  diam- 
eter as  the  cistern,  and  I  spent  the  day  in  slowly  working  on 
these,  endeavoring  to  cut  them  of  the  requisite  length,  but 
as  my  instrument  was  a  very  rough  file,  I  invariably  broke 
them.  A  groove  was  cut  in  one  of  the  trees,  where  the  bar- 
ometer was  placed  during  the  night,  to  be  out  of  the  way  of 
any  possible  danger,  and  in  the  morning  I  commenced 
again.  Among  the  powder  horns  in  the  camp,  I  found  one 
w^hich  was  very  transparent,  so  that  its  contents  could  be 
almost  as  plainly  seen  as  through  glass.  This  I  boiled  and 
stretched  on  a  piece  of  wood  to  the  requisite  diameter,  and 
scraped  it  very  thin,  in  order  to  increase  to  the  utmost  its 
transparency.  I  then  secured  it  firmly  in  its  place  on  the 
instrument,  with  strong  glue  made  from  a  buffalo,  and 
filled  it  with  mercury,  properly  heated.  A  piece  of  skin 
which  had  covered  one  of  the  vials  furnished  a  good  pocket, 
which  was  well  secured  with  strong  thread  and  glue,  and 
then  the  brass  cover  was  screwed  to  its  place.    The  instru- 

*This  body  of  water  is  known  on  the  Wyoming  map  of  today  as  Boulder  Lake.  Owen 
locates  Bernier's  encampment  in  Section  14,  Township  33,  Range  108,  and  says  that  the 
identity  of  the  camp  isbeyond  question. 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  263 

ment  was  left  some  time  to  dry;  and  when  I  reversed  it,  a 
few  hours  after,  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  it  in  perfect 
order;  its  indications  being  about  the  same  as  on  the  other 
side  of  the  lake  before  it  had  been  broken.  Our  success  in 
this  little  incident  diffused  pleasure  throughout  the  camp, 
and  we  immediately  set  about  our  preparations  for  ascend- 
ing the  mountains. 

''I  was  desirous  to  keep  strictly  within  the  scope  of  my 
instructions,  and  it  would  have  required  ten  or  fifteen  addi- 
tional days  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  object;  our  ani- 
mals had  become  very  much  worn  out  with  the  length  of  the 
journey;  game  was  very  scarce;  and,  though  it  does  not 
appear  in  the  course  of  the  narrative  (as  I  have  avoided 
dwelling  upon  trifling  incidents  not  connected  with  the 
objects  of  the  expedition)  the  spirits  of  the  men  had  been 
much  exhausted  by  the  hardships  and  privations  to  which 
they  had  been  subjected.  Our  provisions  had  well  nigh  all 
disappeared.  Bread  had  been  long  out  of  the  question ;  and 
of  all  our  stock,  we  had  remaining  two  or  three  pounds  of 
coffee  and  a  small  quantity  of  macaroni,  which  had  been 
husbanded  with  great  care  for  the  mountain  expedition  we 
were  about  to  undertake.  Our  daily  meal  consisted  of  dry 
buffalo  meat,  cooked  in  tallow,  and,  as  we  had  not  dried 
this  with  Indian  skill,  part  of  it  was  spoiled,  and  what  re- 
mained of  good  was  as  hard  as  wood,  having  much  the  taste 
and  appearance  of  so  many  pieces  of  bark.  Even  of  this  our 
stock  was  rapidly  diminishing  in  a  camp  which  was  capable 
of  consuming  two  buffaloes  in  every  twenty-four  hours. 
These  animals  had  entirely  disappeared,  and  it  was  not  prob- 
able that  we  should  fall  in  with  them  again  until  we  re- 
turned to  the  Sweetwater. 

"Our  arrangements  for  the  ascent  were  rapidly  com- 
pleted. We  were  in  a  hostile  country,  which  rendered  the 
greatest  vigilance  and  circumspection  necessary.  The  pass 
at  the  north  end  of  the  mountain  was  generally  infested  by 
Blackf eet ;  and  immediately  opposite  was  one  of  their  forts, 
on  the  edge  of  a  little  thicket,  two  or  three  hundred  feet 
from  our  encampment.  We  were  posted  in  a  grove  of  beech 
on  the  margin  of  the  lake  and  a  few  hundred  feet  long,  with 
a  narrow  pavilion  on  the  inner  side,  bordered  by  the  rocky 
ridge.  In  the  upper  end  of  this  grove  we  cleared  a  circular 
space  about  forty  feet  in  diameter,  and  with  the  felled  tim- 
ber and  interwoven  branches  surrounded  it  with  a  breast- 
work five  feet  in  height.  A  gap  was  left  for  a  gate  on  the 
inner  side,  by  which  the  animals  were  to  be  driven  in  and 


264  History  of  Wyoming. 

secured,  while  the  men  slept  around  the  little  work.  It  was 
half  hidden  by  the  foliage,  and,  garrisoned  by  twelve  reso- 
lute men,  would  have  set  at  defiance  any  band  of  savages 
which  might  chance  to  discover  them  in  the  interval  of  our 
absence.  Fifteen  of  the  best  mules,  with  fourteen  men, 
were  selected  for  the  mountain  party.  Our  provisions  con- 
sisted of  dried  meat  for  two  days,  with  our  little  stock  of 
coffee  and  some  macaroni.  In  addition  to  the  barometer 
and  a  thermometer,  I  took  with  me  a  sextant  and  spy-glass, 
and  we  had,  of  course,  our  compasses.  In  charge  of  the 
camp  I  left  Bernier,  one  of  my  most  trustworthy  men,  who 
possessed  the  most  detennined  courage. 

"August  12th. — Early  in  the  morning  we  left  the  camp, 
fifteen  in  number,  well  armed,  of  course,  and  mounted  on 
our  best  mules.  A  pack  animal  carried  our  provisions,  with 
a  coffee  pot  and  camp  kettle,  and  three  or  four  tin  cups. 
Every  man  had  a  blanket  strapped  over  his  saddle,  to  serve 
for  his  bed,  and  the  instruments  were  carried  in  turn  on 
their  backs.  We  entered  directly  on  rough  and  rocky 
ground  and  just  after  crossing  the  ridge  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  shoot  an  antelope.  We  heard  the  roar  and  had  a 
glimpse  of  a  waterfall  as  we  rode  along,  and,  crossing  in 
our  way  two  fine  streams,  tributary  to  the  Colorado,  in 
about  two  hours'  ride  we  reached  the  top  of  the  first  row 
or  range  of  the  mountains.  Here,  again,  a  view  of  the  most 
romantic  beauty  met  our  eyes.  It  seemed  as  if,  from  the 
vast  expanse  of  uninteresting  prairie  we  had  passed  over, 
nature  had  collected  all  her  beauties  together  in  one  chosen 
place.  We  were  overlooking  a  deep  valley  which  was  en- 
tirely occupied  by  three  lakes,  and  from  the  brink  the  sur- 
rounding ridges  rose  precipitously  five  hundred  and  a  thous- 
and feet,  covered  with  a  dark  green  of  the  balsam  pine,  re- 
lieved on  the  border  of  the  lake  with  the  light  foliage  of  the 
aspen.  They  all  communicated  with  each  other;  and  the 
green  of  the  waters,  common  to  mountain  lakes  of  great 
depth,  showed  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  cross  them. 
The  surprise  manifested  by  our  guides  when  these  impassa- 
ble obstacles  suddenly  barred  our  progress,  showed  that 
they  were  among  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  place,  un- 
known even  to  the  wandering  trappers  of  the  region.  De- 
scending the  hill,  we  proceeded  to  make  our  way  along  the 
margin  to  the  southern  extremity.  A  narrow  strip  of  angu- 
lar fragments  of  rock  sometimes  afforded  a  rough  pathway 
for  our  mules,  but  generally  we  rode  along  the  shelving  side, 
occasionally  scrambling  up,  at  a  considerable  risk  of  turn- 


THE  DEUIL'S  GATE. 

{Page  25q  ) 


INDEPENDENCE  ROGK. 
{Pag-e  2s8.] 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  265 

bling  back  into  the  lake.  The  slope  Was  frequently  60° ;  the 
pines  grew  densely  together,  and  the  ground  was  covered 
■with  the  branches  and  trunks  of  trees.  The  air  was  fragrant 
with  the  odor  of  the  pines,  and  I  realized  this  delightful 
morning  the  pleasure  of  breathing  that  mountain  air  which 
makes  a  constant  theme  of  the  hunters'  praise  and  which 
now  made  us  feel  as  if  we  had  all  been  drinking  some  ex- 
hilarating gas.  The  depth  of  this  unexplored  forest  was 
a  place  to  delight  the  heart  of  a  botanist.  There  was  a  rich 
undergrowth  of  plants  and  numerous  gay  colored  dowers 
in  brilliant  bloom. 

"We  had  reached  a  very  elevated  point,  and  in  the  val- 
ley below  and  among  the  hills  were  a  number  of  lakes  of 
different  levels,  some  two  or  three  hundred  feet  above  oth- 
ers, with  which  they  communicated  by  foaming  torrents. 
Even  to  our  great  height,  the  roar  of  the  cataracts  caii'.e  up, 
and  we  could  see  them  leaping  down  in  lines  of  snowy  foam. 
From  this  scene  of  busy  waters  we  turned  abruptly  into 
the  stillness  of  a  forest,  where  we  rode  among  the  open  bolls 
of  the  pines  over  a  lawn  of  verdant  grass,  having  strikingly 
the  air  of  cultivated  grounds.  This  led  us,  after  a  time, 
among  masses  of  rock  which  had  no  vegetable  earth  but  in 
hollows  and  crevices,  though  still  the  pine  forest  continued. 
Toward  evening  we  reached  a  defile,  or  rather  a  hole  in  the 
mountains,  entirely  shut  in  by  dark  pine-covered  rocks. 

"Our  table  service  was  rather  scant,  and  we  held  the 
meat  in  our  hands,  and  clean  rocks  made  good  plates,  on 
which  we  spread  our  macaroni.  Among  all  the  strange 
places  in  which  we  had  occasion  to  camp  during  our  long 
journey,  none  have  left  so  vivid  an  impression  on  my  mind 
as  the  camp  of  this  evening.  The  disorder  of  the  masses 
which  surrounded  us ;  the  little  hole  through  which  we  saw 
the  stars  overhead;  the  dark  pines  when  we  slept,  and  the 
rocks  lit  up  with  our  fires,  made  a  night  picture  of  very  wild 
beauty. 

"August  13. — The  morning  was  bright  and  pleasant, 
just  cool  enough  to  make  exercise  agreeable,  and  we  soon 
entered  the  defile  I  had  seen  the  preceding  day.  It  was 
smoothly  carpeted  with  a  soft  grass  and  scattered  over  with 
groups  of  flowers,  of  which  yellow  was  the  predominant 
color.  Sometimes  we  were  forced,  by  an  occasional  difficult 
pass,  to  pick  our  way  on  a  narrow  ledge  along  the  side  of  the 
defile,  and  the  mules  were  frequently  on  their  knees;  but 
these  obstructions  were  rare,  and  we  journeyed  on  in  the 
sweet  morning  air,  delighted  at  our  good  fortune  in  having 


266  History  of  Wyoming.    - 

found  such  a  beautiful  entrance  to  the  mountains.  This 
road  continued  for  about  three  miles  when  we  suddenly 
reached  its  termination  in  one  of  the  grand  views  which,  at 
every  turn,  meet  the  traveler  in  this  magnificent  region. 
Here  the  defile  up  which  we  had  traveled  opened  out  into 
a  small  lawn,  where  in  a  little  lake  the  stream  had  its 
source. 

"It  is  not  by  the  splendor  of  far-off  views,  which  have 
lent  such  a  glory  to  the  Alps,  that  these  impress  the  mind ; 
but  by  a  gigantic  disorder  of  enormous  masses  and  a  savage 
sublimity  of  naked  rock,  in  wonderful  contrast  with  innu- 
merable green  spots  of  a  rich  floral  beauty,  shut  up  in  their 
stern  recesses.  Their  wildness  seems  well  suited  to  the 
character  of  the  people  who  inhabit  the  country. 

"I  determined  to  leave  our  animals  here  and  make  the 
rest  of  our  way  on  foot.  The  peak  appeared  so  near  that 
there  was  no  doubt  of  our  returning  before  night,  and  a  few 
men  were  left  in  charge  of  the  mules,  with  our  provisions 
and  blankets.  We  took  with  us  nothing  but  our  arms  and 
instruments,  and  as  the  day  had  become  warm,  the  greater 
part  left  our  coats.  Having  made  an  early  dinner,  we 
started  again.  We  were  soon  involved  in  the  most  ragged 
precipices,  nearing  the  central  chain  very  slowly,  and  ris- 
ing but  little.  The  first  ridge  hid  a  succession  of  others, 
and  when,  with  great  fatigue  and  difiSculty,  we  had  climbed 
up  five  hundred  feet,  it  was  but  to  make  an  equal  descent 
on  the  other  side;  all  these  intervening  places  were  filled 
with  small,  deep  lakes,  which  met  the  eye  in  every  direc- 
tion, descending  from  one  level  to  another,  sometimes  under 
bridges  formed  by  huge  fragments  of  granite,  beneath 
which  was  heard  the  roar  of  the  water.  These  constantly 
obstructed  our  path,  forcing  us  to  make  long  detours;  fre- 
quently obliging  us  to  retrace  our  steps,  and  frequently  fall- 
ing among  rocks.  Maxwell  was  precipitated  towards  the 
face  of  a  precipice  and  saved  himself  from  going  over  by 
throwing  himself  flat  on  the  ground.  We  clambered  on,  al- 
ways expecting,  with  every  ridge  that  we  crossed,  to  reach 
the  foot  of  the  peaks,  and  always  disappointed  until  about 
four  o'clock,  when,  pretty  well  worn  out,  we  reached  the 
shore  of  a  little  lake,  in  which  there  was  a  rocky  island. 

"By  the  time  we  had  reached  the  further  side  of  the 
lake,  we  found  ourselves  all  exceedingly  fatigued,  and,  much 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  whole  party,  we  encamped.  The 
spot  we  had  chosen  was  a  broad,  flat  rock,  in  some  measure 
protected  from  the  winds  by  the  surrounding  crags,  and  the 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  267 

trunks  of  fallen  pines  afforded  us  bright  fires  .  Near  by  was 
a  foaming  torrent,  which  tumbled  into  the  little  lake  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  us,  and  which  by  way  of 
distinction  we  have  called  Island  Lake.  We  had  reached 
the  upper  limit  of  the  piney  region,  as  above  this  point  no 
tree  was  to  be  seen  and  patches  of  snow  lay  everywhere 
around  us  on  the  cold  sides  of  the  rocks.  The  flora  of  the 
region  we  had  traversed  since  leaving  our  mules  was  ex- 
tremely rich,  and  among  the  characteristic  plants,  the  scar- 
let flowers  of  the  Dodecatheon  dentatum  everywhere  met  the 
eye  in  great  abundance.  A  small  green  ravine,  on  the  edge 
of  which  we  were  encamped,  was  filled  with  a  profusion 
of  Alpine  plants  in  brilliant  bloom. 

"I  was  taken  ill  shortly  after  we  had  encamped,  and  con- 
tinued so  until  late  in  the  night,  with  violent  headache  and 
vomiting.  This  was  probably  caused  by  the  excessive  fa- 
tigue I  had  undergone,  and  want  of  food,  and  perhaps,  also, 
in  some  measure,  by  the  rarity  of  the  air.  The  night  was 
cold,  as  a  violent  gale  from  the  north  had  sprung  up  at  sun- 
set, which  entirely  blew  away  the  heat  of  the  fires.  The 
cold,  and  our  granite  beds,  had  not  been  favorable  to  sleep, 
and  we  were  glad  to  see  the  face  of  the  sun  in  the  morning, 
Not  being  delayed  by  any  preparation  for  breakfast,  we  set 
out  immediately, 

'*0n  every  side,  as  we  advanced,  was  heard  the  roar  of 
waters,  and  of  a  torrent,  which  we  followed  up  a  short  dis- 
tance until  it  expanded  into  a  lake  about  one  mile  in  length. 
On  the  northern  side  of  the  lake  was  a  bank  of  ice,  or  rather 
of  snow  covered  with  a  crust  of  ice.  Carson  had  been  our 
guide  into  the  mountains,  and  ,agreeably  to  his  advice,  we 
left  this  little  valley  and  took  to  the  ridges  again ;  which  we 
found  extremely  broken,  and  where  we  were  again  involved 
among  precipices.  Here  were  icefields,  among  which  we 
were  all  dispersed,  seeking  each  the  best  path  to  ascend  the 
peak.  Mr.  Preuss  attempted  to  walk  along  the  upper  edge 
of  one  of  these  fields  which  sloped  away  at  an  angle  of  about 
twenty  degrees,  but  his  feet  slipped  from  under  him  and 
he  went  plunging  down  the  plane.  A  few  hundred  feet 
below,  at  the  bottom,  were  some  fragments  of  sharp  rock, 
on  which  he  landed,  and  though  he  turned  a  couple  of  som- 
ersets,  fortunately  received  no  injury  beyond  a  few  bruises. 
Two  of  the  men,  Clement  Lambert  and  Descoteaux,  had  been 
taken  ill  and  lay  down  on  the  rocks  a  short  distance  below ; 
and  at  this  point  I  was  attacked  with  headache  and  giddi- 
ness, accompanied  by  vomiting,  as  on  the  day  before.    Find- 


268  History  of  Wyoming. 

ing  myself  unable  to  proceed,  I  sent  the  barometer  over  to 
Mr.  Preuss,  who  was  in  a  gap  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
distant,  desiring  him  to  reach  the  peak,  if  possible,  and  take 
an  observation  there.  He  found  himself  unable  to  proceed 
farther  in  that  direction,  and  took  an  observation,  when  the 
barometer  stood  at  19.401;  attached  thermometer,  50°,  in 
the  gap.  Carson,  who  had  gone  over  to  him,  succeeded  in 
reaching  one  of  the  snowy  summits  of  the  main  ridge, 
whence  he  saw  the  peak  towards  which  all  our  efforts  had 
been  directed,  towering  eight  or  ten  hundred  feet  into  the 
air  above  him.  In  the  meantime,  finding  myself  grow 
rather  worse  than  better,  and  doubtful  how  far  my  strength 
would  carry  me,  I  sent  Basil  Lajeunesse  with  four  men 
back  to  the  place  where  the  mules  had  been  left. 

"Vv^e  were  now  better  acquainted  with  the  topography 
of  the  country,  and  T  directed  him  to  bring  back  with  him, 
if  it  were  in  any  way  possible,  four  or  five  mules,  with  pro- 
visions and  blankets.  With  me  were  Maxwell  and  Ayer, 
and  after  we  had  remained  nearly  an  hour  on  the  rock  it  be- 
came so  unpleasantly  cold,  though  the  day  was  bright,  that 
we  set  out  on  our  return  to  the  camp,  at  which  we  all  ar- 
rived safely,  straggling  in  one  after  the  other.  1  continued 
ill  during  the  afternoon,  but  became  better  towards  sun- 
down, when  my  recovery  was  completed  by  the  appearance 
of  Basil  and  four  men,  all  mounted.  The  men  who  had  gone 
with  him  had  been  too  much  fatigued  to  return,  and  were 
relieved  by  those  in  charge  of  the  horses ;  but  in  his  powers 
of  endurance  Basil  resembled  more  a  mountain  goat  than  a 
man.  They  brought  blankets  and  provisions,  and  we  en- 
joyed well  our  dried  meat  and  a  good  cup  of  coffee.  We 
rolled  ourselves  up  in  our  blankets,  and  with  our  feet  turned 
to  a  blazing  fire  slept  soundly  until  morning. 

"August  15. — It  had  been  supposed  that  we  had  fin- 
ished with  the  mountains,  and  the  evening  before  it  had 
been  arranged  that  Carson  should  set  out  at  daylight  and 
return  to  breakfast  at  the  camp  of  the  mules,  taking  with 
him  all  but  four  or  five  men,  who  were  to  stay  with  me  and 
bring  back  the  mules  and  instruments.  Accordingly,  at  the 
break  of  day  they  set  out.  With  Mr.  Preuss  and  myself  re- 
mained Basil  Lajeunesse,  Clement  Lambert,  Janisse  and 
Descoteaux.  When  we  had  secured  strength  for  the  day  by 
a  hearty  breakfast,  we  covered  what  remained,  which  was 
enough  for  one  meal,  with  rocks,  in  order  that  it  might  be 
safe  from  any  marauding  bird,  and,  saddling  our  mules, 
turned  our  faces  once  more  towards  the  peaks.    This  time 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  269 

we  determined  to  proceed  quietly  and  cautiously,  deliber* 
ately  resolved  to  accomplish  our  object  if  it  were  within  the 
compass  of  human  means.  We  were  of  opinion  that  a  long 
defile  which  lay  to  the  left  of  yesterday's  route  would  lead 
us  to  the  foot  of  the  main  peak.  Our  mules  had  been  re- 
freshed by  the  fine  grass  in  the  little  ravine  at  the  island 
camp,  and  we  intended  to  ride  up  the  defile  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, in  order  to  husband  our  strength  for  the  main  ascent. 
Though  this  was  a  fine  passage,  still  it  was  a  defile  of  the 
most  rugged  mountains  known,  and  we  had  many  a  rough 
and  steep  slippery  place  to  cross  before  reaching  the  end. 
In  this  place  the  sun  rarely  shone;  snow  lay  along  the  bor- 
der of  the  small  stream  which  flowed  through  it,  and  occa- 
sional icy  passages  made  the  footing  of  the  mules  very  in. 
secure,  and  the  rocks  and  ground  were  moist  with  the  trick- 
ling waters  in  this  spring  of  mighty  rivers.  We  soon  had 
the  satisfaction  to  find  ourselves  riding  along  the  huge  wall 
which  forms  the  central  summit  of  the  chain.  There  at  last 
it  rose  by  our  sides,  a  nearly  perpendicular  wall  of  granite, 
terminating  2,000  to  3,000  feet  above  our  heads  in  a  serrated 
line  of  broken,  jagged  cones.  We  rode  on  until  we  came 
almost  immediately  below  the  main  peak,  which  I  denomi- 
nated the  Snow  Peak,  as  it  exhibited  more  snow  to  the  eye 
than  any  of  the  neighboring  summits.  Here  were  three 
small  lakes  of  a  green  color,  each  of  perhaps  a  thousand 
yards  in  diameter,  and  apparently  very  deep.  These  lay 
in  a  kind  of  chasm;  and,  according  to  the  barometer,  we  had 
attained  but  a  few  hundred  feet  above  the  Island  Lake,  The 
barometer  here  stood  at  20.450,  attached  thermometer  70°. 
"We  managed  to  get  our  mules  up  to  a  litte  bench  about 
a  hundred  feet  above  the  lakes,  where  there  was  a  patch  of 
good  grass,  and  turned  them  loose  to  graze.  During  our 
rough  ride  to  the  place  they  had  exhibited  a  wonderful  sure- 
footedness.  Parts  of  the  defile  were  filled  with  angular, 
sharp  fragments  of  rock,  three  or  four  and  eight  or  ten  feet 
cube;  and  among  these  they  had  worked  their  way,  leaping 
from  one  narrow  point  to  another,  rarely  making  a  false 
step,  and  giving  us  no  occasion  to  dismount.  Having  di- 
vested ourselves  of  every  unnecessary  encumbrance,  we 
commenced  the  ascent.  This  time,  like  experienced  trav- 
elers, we  did  not  press  ourselves,  but  climbed  leisurely,  sit- 
ting down  as  soon  as  we  found  breath  beginning  to  fail. 
At  intervals  we  reached  places  where  a  number  of  springs 
gushed  from  the  rocks,  and  about  1,800  feet  above  the  lakes 
came  to  the  snow  line.    From  this  point  our  progress  was 


270  History  of  Wyoming. 

uninterrupted  climbing.  Hitherto  I  had  worn  a  pair  of 
thick  moccasins,  with  the  soles  of  parfleche;*  but  here  I 
put  on  a  light,  thin  pair,  which  I  had  brought  for  the  pur- 
pose, as  now  the  use  of  our  toes  became  necessary  to  a  fur- 
ther advance.  I  availed  myself  of  a  comb  of  the  mountains 
which  stood  against  the  wall  like  a  buttress,  and  which  the 
wind  and  the  solar  radiation,  joined  to  the  steepness  of  the 
smooth  rock,  had  kept  almost  entirely  free  from  snow.  Up 
this  I  made  my  way  rapidly.  Our  cautious  method  of  ad- 
vancing in  the  outset  had  spared  my  strength,  and  with  the 
exception  of  a  slight  disposition  to  headache,  I  felt  no  re- 
mains of  yesterday's  illness.  In  a  few  minutes  we  reached 
a  point  where  the  buttress  was  overhanging,  and  there  was 
no  other  way  of  surmounting  the  difficulty  than  by  passing 
around  one  side  of  it,  which  was  the  face  of  a  vertical  preci- 
pice of  several  hundred  feet.  Putting  hands  and  feet  in 
the  crevices  between  the  blocks,  I  succeeded  in  getting  over 
it,  and,  when  I  reached  the  top,  found  my  companions  in  a 
small  valley  below.  Descending  to  them,  we  continued 
climbing,  and  in  a  short  time  reached  the  crest.  I  sprang 
upon  the  summit,  and  another  step  would  have  precipitated 
me  into  an  immense  snow-field  five  hundred  feet  below.  To 
the  edge  of  this  field  was  a  sheer  icy  precipice;  and  then, 
with  a  gradual  fall,  the  field  sloped  off  for  about  a  mile,  until 
it  struck  the  foot  of  another  lower  ridge.  I  stood  on  a  nar- 
row crest,  about  three  feet  in  width,  with  an  inclination  of 
about  20°  N.,  51°  E.  As  soon  as  I  had  gratified  the  first  feel- 
ings of  curiosity,  I  descended,  and  each  man  ascended  in 
his  turn;  for  I  would  only  allow  one  at  a  time  to  mount  the 
unstable  and  precarious  slab,  which  it  seemed  a  breath 
would  hurl  into  the  abyss  below.  We  mounted  the  barome- 
ter in  the  snow  of  the  summit,  and  fixing  a  ramrod  in  a 
crevice,  unfurled  the  national  flag  to  wave  in  the  breeze 
where  never  flag  waved  before.  During  our  morning's  as- 
cent we  had  met  no  animal  life,  except  a  small  bird  having 
the  appearance  of  a  sparrow.  A  stillness  the  most  profound 
and  a  terrible  solitude  forced  themselves  constantly  on  the 
mind  as  the  great  features  of  the  place.  Here  on  the  sum- 
mit, where  the  stillness  was  absolute,  unbroken  by  any 
sound,  and  the  solitude  complete,  we  thought  ourselves 

*Parfleche  is  the  name  given  to  buffalo  hide.  The  Indian  women  prepare  it  by- 
scraping  and  drying.  It  is  exceedingly  tough  and  hard  and  receives  its  name  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  it  cannot  be  pierced  by  arrows  or  spears.  The  entire  dress  of  Fremont  and 
his  party,  on  their  ascent  to  the  "  top  of  America,"  consisted  of  a  blue  flannel  shirt,  free  and 
open  at  the  neck,  the  collar  turning  down  over  a  black  silk  handkerchief  tied  loosely,  blue 
cloth  pantaloons,  a  slouched  broad-brimmed  hat,  and  moccasins  as  above  described.  It  was 
well  adapted  to  climbing — quite  light,  and  at  the  same  time  warm,  and  every  way  com- 
fortable. 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  271 

beyond  the  region  of  animal  life;  but  while  we  were  sitting 
on  the  rock,  a  solitary  bee  {hromus,  the  humble  bee)  came 
winging  his  flight  from  the  eastern  valley,  and  lit  on  the 
knee  of  one  of  the  men. 

"Around  us,  the  whole  scene  had  one  main  striking  fea- 
ture, which  was  that  of  terrible  convulsion.  Parallel  to  its 
length,  the  ridge  was  split  into  chasms  and  fissures,  between 
which  rose  the  thin,  lofty  walls,  terminated  with  slender 
minarets  and  columns,  which  is  correctly  represented  in 
the  view  from  the  camp  on  Island  Lake.  According  to  the 
barometer,  the  little  crest  of  the  wall  on  which  we  stood 
was  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  seventy  feet  above 
that  place,  and  two  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
above  the  little  lakes  at  the  bottom,  immediately  at  our 
feet.  Our  camp  at  the  Two  Hills  (an  astronomical  station) 
bore  south  3°  east,  which  with  a  bearing  afterward  obtained 
from  a  fixed  position,  enabled  us  to  locate  the  peak.  The 
bearing  of  the  Trois  Tetons  was  north  50°  west,  and  the  di- 
rection of  the  central  range  of  the  Wind  River  mountains 
south  39°  east.  The  summit  rock  was  gneiss,  succeeded 
by  sienitic  gneiss.  Sienite  and  feldspar  succeeded  in  our 
descent  to  the  snow  line,  where  we  found  a  feldspathic 
granite.  I  had  remarked  that  the  noise  produced  by  the  ex- 
plosion of  our  pistols  had  the  usual  degree  of  loudness,  but 
was  not  in  the  least  prolonged,  expiring  almost  instantane- 
ously. Having  now  made  what  observations  our  means 
afforded,  we  proceeded  to  descend.  We  had  accomplished 
an  object  of  laudable  ambition,  and  beyond  the  strict  order 
of  our  instructions.  We  had  climbed  the  loftiest  peak  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  looked  down  upon  the  snow  a  thous- 
and feet  below,  and  standing  where  never  human  foot  had 
stood  before,  felt  the  exultation  of  first  explorers.  It  was 
about  two  o'clock  when  we  left  the  summit,  and  when  we 
reached  the  bottom  the  sun  had  already  sunk  behind  the 
wall  and  the  day  was  drawing  to  a  close.  It  would  have 
been  pleasant  to  have  lingered  here  and  on  the  summit 
longer;  but  we  hurried  away  as  rapidly  as  the  ground  would 
permit,  for  it  was  an  object  to  regain  our  party  as  soon  as 
possible,  not  knowing  what  accident  the  next  hour  might 
bring  forth. 

**We  reached  our  deposit  of  provisions  at  nightfall. 
Here  was  not  the  inn  which  greets  the  tired  traveler  return- 
ing from  Mont  Blanc,  or  the  orange  groves  of  South  America 
with  their  refreshing  juice  and  soft  fragrant  air;  but  we 
found  our  little  cache  of  dried  meat  and  coffee  undisturbed. 


2/2  History  of  Wyoming. 

Though  the  moon  was  bright,  the  road  was  full  of  precipices 
and  the  fatigue  of  the  day  had  been  great.  We  therefore 
abandoned  the  idea  of  rejoining  our  friends  and  lay  down  on 
the  rock,  and,  in  spite  of  the  cold,  slept  soundly. 

"August  16. — We  left  our  encampment  with  the  day- 
light. We  saw  on  our  way  large  flocks  of  the  mountain 
goat  looking  down  on  us  from  the  cliffs.  At  the  crack  of  a 
rifle  they  would  bound  off  among  the  rocks,  and  in  a  few 
minutes*  make  their  appearance  on  some  lofty  peak,  some 
hundred  or  a  thousand  feet  above.  It  is  needless  to  attempt 
any  further  description  of  the  country;  the  portion  over 
which  we  traveled  this  morning  was  rough  as  imagination 
could  picture  it,  and  to  us  seemed  equally  beautiful.  A  con- 
course of  lakes  and  rushing  waters,  mountains  of  rocks, 
naked  and  destitute  of  vegetable  earth,  dells  and  ravines  of 
the  most  exquisite  beauty,  all  kept  green  and  fresh  by  the 
great  moisture  in  the  air  and  sown  with  brilliant  flowers, 
and  everywhere,  thrown  around  all,  the  glory  of  most  mag- 
nificent scenes;  these  constitute  the  features  of  the  place 
and  impress  themselves  vividly  on  the  mind  of  the  traveler. 
It  was  not  until  11  o'clock  that  we  reached  the  place  where 
our  animals  had  been  left  when  we  first  attempted  the 
mountains  on  foot.  Near  one  of  the  still  burning  fires  we 
found  a  juece  of  meat,  which  our  friends  had  thrown  away, 
and  which  furnished  us  a  mouthful — a  very  scanty  break- 
fast. We  continued  directly  on  and  reached  our  camp  on 
the  mountain  lake  at  dusk.  We  found  all  well.  Nothing 
had  occurred  to  interrupt  the  quiet  since  our  departure,  and 
the  fine  grass  and  good,  cool  water  had  done  much  to  re- 
establish our  animals.  All  heard  with  great  delight  the 
order  to  turn  our  faces  homeward;  and  towards  sundown 
of  the  17th  we  encamped  again  at  Two  Buttes." 

Fremont's  description  of  the  Wind  River  Range  and  the 
climbing  of  the  peak  is  one  of  the  best  literary  efforts  of  any 
explorer.  It  is  a  word  picture  drawn  with  such  accuracy 
as  to  enable  the  reader  to  gain  a  grand  view  of  this,  the  most 
beautiful  mountain  in  the  whole  Rocky  range.  I  reproduce 
in  connection  with  this  report  two  views  of  the  Wind  River 
Range  made  by  Mr.  Preuss  on  this  trip.  They  were  pub- 
lished in  Fremont's  report  and  deserve,  because  of  their 
excellence,  a  place  in  this  volume.  The  return  of  the  party 
across  South  Pass  and  down  the  Sweetwater  to  Indepen- 


FREMONT'S  PEAK. 
{From  a  drawing  by  Charles  Preuss,  Fremont's  topographical  engineer,  Az/g.  /s,  1842.) 
[The  broad  peak  to  the  left  is  Fremont's.] 


WIND   RIWER    RANGE. 

[By  Charles  Preuss.) 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  273 

dence  Rock  was  accomplished  by  the  evening  of  the  22nd. 
On  this  great  rock  Fremont  placed  the  emblem  of  Christi- 
anity. He  says:  **Here,  not  unmindful  of  the  custom  of 
early  travelers  and  explorers  in  our  country,  I  engraved  on 
this  rock  of  the  far  west  the  symbol  of  the  Christian  faith. 
Among  the  thickly  inscribed  names,  I  made  on  the  hard 
granite  the  impression  of  a  large  cross,  which  I  covered 
with  a  black  preparation  of  India  rubber,  well  calculated 
to  resist  the  influence  of  wind  and  rain.  It  stands  amidst 
the  names  of  many  who  have  long  since  found  their  way  to 
the  grave,  and  for  whom  the  huge  rock  is  a  giant  grave- 
stone." 

I  have  met  quite  a  number  of  people  who  claim  to  have 
seen  this  cross,  but  must  confess  that  I  never  have  been  able 
to  find  it.  On  July  4,  1847,  there  was  a  grand  celebration 
at  this  rock  by  more  than  a  thousand  people  who  were  on 
their  way  to  Oregon  and  California.  During  the  day  the 
enthusiastic  American  citizens  loaded  old  wagon  hubs  with 
powder,  to  which  they  fastened  a  fuse,  and  exploded  them  in 
the  crevices  of  the  rock.  By  this  means  a  large  piece  of  the 
granite  weighing  many  tons  was  detached  and  turned  over 
on  the  ground,  and  I  have  been  of  the  opinion  that  the  Fre- 
mont cross  is  on  this  detached  piece  of  rock  and  was  thus 
covered  from  view. 

After  leaving  Independence  Rock  the  party  proceeded 
across  to  the  North  Platte  and  carefully  explored  that 
stream,  returning  to  Fort  Laramie  on  August  31.  The  re- 
turn trip  was  made  down  the  Platte  to  the  Missouri,  from 
which  point  they  floated  down  that  stream  in  a  ten-oared 
boat  and  finally  reached  St.  Louis  on  October  17.  After 
this  expedition  of  Fremont  into  Wyoming,  things  were 
never  to  be  as  they  were  before.  The  dark  mountain  barri- 
ers, broad  valleys  and  noble  rivers  took  their  places  upon 
the  map  of  our  country  and  became  an  open  book  for  all  men 
to  read.  The  great  Overland  Trail,  with  its  memories  of 
Robert  Stuart,  General  Ashley,  the  Sublette  brothers,  Cap- 
tain Bonneville,  Marcus  Whitman  and  others  had  become 
the  broad  highway  used  by  those  who  were  soon  to  build 

-{18) 


274  History  of  Wyoming. 

commonwealths.  But  Fremont  is  not  through  with  Wyo- 
ming yet,  for  he  is  to  mark  out  another  public  thorough- 
fare in  our  state.    Of  this  I  will  speak  in  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


FREMONT'S  SECOND  EXPEDITION  THROUGH  WYOMING. 

The  Start  From  the  Missouri — Follow  the  Kansas  River — Command 
Divided — Explorations  in  Colorado — Two  Divisions  Meet  at  Fort 
St.  Vrain — Twenty-Five  Men  With  the  Baggage  Go  by  Way  of 
Fort  Laramie  to  Fort  Hall — Fremont  and  Thirteen  Men  Ex- 
plore Laramie  Plains  and  Proceed  Westward  to  Eastern  Rim 
OF  Red  Desert — Proceed  North  to  Sweetwater — Journey  to 
Bear  River — Explore  Great  Salt  Lake — Join  Balance  of  Com- 
mand at  Fort  Hall — Explorations  in  Oregon — Winter  Cam- 
paign in  the  Mountains  of  California — Third  Exploring  Expe- 
dition and  Experiences  in  California — Fourth  Exploring  Expe- 
dition— Great  Suffering  of  the  Party  and  Eleven.  Deaths — 
Fremont's  Public  Services. 

The  second  expedition  of  Fremont  was  undertaken 
early  in  the  spring  of  1843.  The  rendezvous  was  at  the 
little  town  of  Kansas,  on  the  Missouri,  now  known  as  Kan- 
sas City.  Experience  had  taught  the  chief  of  the  expedition 
the  necessity  of  a  complete  outfit,  and  consequently  every- 
thing necessary  was  provided,  Major  Thomas  Fitzpatrick  be- 
ing selected  as  guide.  Charles  Preuss  was  again  chosen  as 
assistant  topographical  engineer.  Lucien  Maxwell  was  en- 
gaged as  hunter.  Theodore  Talbot  of  Washington  City  was 
a  member  of  the  party.  Frederick  Dwight,  of  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  who  was  on  his  way  to  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
accompanied  them.  William  Gilpin  of  Missouri,  who  after- 
wards became  the  first  governor  of  Colorado,  journeyed 
with  Fremont  to  Oregon.  The  men  who  enlisted  in  the  en- 
terprise were,  as  will  be  seen,  largely  chosen  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  first  expedition.    They  were,  Alexis  Ayot,  Fran- 


Fremont- s  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  275 

cois  Badeau,  Oliver  Beanlieu,  Baptiste  Bernier,  John  A. 
Campbell,  John  G.  Campbell,  Manuel  Chapman,  Ransom 
Clark,  Philibert  Courteau,  Michel  Crelis,  William  Creuss, 
Clinton  Deforest,  Baptiste  Derosier,  Basil  Lajeunesse,  Fran- 
cois Lajeunesse,  Henry  Lee,  Louis  Menard,  Louis  Montreuil, 
Samuel  Neal,  Alexis  Pera,  Francois  Pera,  James  Power, 
Raphael  Proue,  Oscar  Sarphy,  Baptiste  Tabeau,  Charles 
Taplin,  Baptiste  Tesson,  Auguste  Vasquez,  Joseph  Verrot, 
Patrick  White,  Tiery  Wright,  Louis  Zindel  and  Jacob  Dod- 
son,  the  latter  a  young  colored  man  from  Washington  City. 
The  party  was  armed  with  Hall's  carbines  and  also  a  twelve 
pound  brass  howitzer.  The  camp  equipage,  provisions  and 
instruments  were  carried  in  twelve  carts,  drawn  by  two 
mules  each.  They  left  Kansas  City  on  the  29th  of  May  and 
proceeded  up  the  south  side  of  the  Kansas  River.  On  the 
8th  of  June  they  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Smoky  Hill 
Fork,  where  they  crossed  and  proceeded  up  the  Republican 
Fork.  Arriving  at  a  place  called  by  the  Indians  Big  Timber, 
the  force  was  divided.  Leaving  twenty-five  men  in  charge 
of  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  to  follow  on  with  the  heavy  baggage, 
Fremont  took  fifteen  men,  the  mountain  howitzer,  the  cart 
containing  instruments,  and  pushed  forward,  reaching  the 
South  Fork  of  the  Platte  on  June  30th,  and  followed  up  this 
stream  to  St.  Vrain's  Fort,  which  point  was  reached  on  the 
4th  of  July. 

On  the  6th  the  journey  up  the  Platte  was  continued; 
passing  Lupton's  trading  post,  and  a  day  or  two  later  camp 
was  made  on  the  ground  where  Denver  now  stands.  Fre- 
mont finally  reached  Pueblo,  where  he  encountered  Kit 
Carson,  who  had  been  with  him  on  his  expedition  the  year 
before.  This  accomplished  frontiersman  was  added  to  the 
command,  after  which  explorations  were  pushed  into  South 
Park  and  across  into  North  Park,  then  down  again  to  St. 
Vrain's  fort,  reaching  there  on  the  23rd  of  July,  where  was 
found  the  detachment  under  Fitzpatrick  awaiting  them. 
On  the  26th  the  party  was  again  divided,  Fremont  taking 
thirteen  men  for  his  own  company,  and  Fitzpatrick  the  bal- 
ance, with  instructions  to  proceed  by  way  of  Fort  Laramie, 


276  History  of  Wyoming. 

North  Platte,  Sweetwater  and  South  Pass  to  Fort  Hall  and 
there  to  await  the  detachment  under  the  personal  charge  of 
the  explorer.  Before  starting  out  from  St.  Vrain,  Fremont 
makes  the  following  note  in  regard  to  the  country  through 
which  he  expected  to  travel,  and  the  object  of  his  explora- 
tions from  St.  Vrain  west.    His  report  reads : 

''I  had  been  able  to  obtain  no  certain  information  in 
regard  to  the  character  of  the  passes  in  this  portion  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  range,  which  had  always  been  represented 
as  impracticable  for  carriages,  but  the  exploration  of  which 
was  incidentally  contemplated  by  my  instructions,  with  the 
view  of  finding  some  convenient  point  of  passage  for  the 
road  of  emigration,  which  would  enable  it  to  reach,  on  a 
more  direct  line,  the  usual  ford  of  the  Great  Colorado — a 
place  considered  as  determined  by  the  nature  of  the  country 
beyond  that  river.  It  is  singular  that,  immediately  at  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  I  could  find  no  one  sufficiently  ac- 
quainted with  them  to  guide  us  to  the  plains  at  their  west- 
ern base;  but  the  race  of  trappers  who  formerly  lived  in 
their  recesses  has  almost  entirely  disappeared — dwindled 
to  a  few  scattered  individuals — some  one  or  two  of  whom 
are  regularly  killed  in  the  course  of  each  year  by  the  Indians. 
You  will  remember  that  in  the  previous  year,  I  brought  with 
me  to  their  village  near  this  post,  and  hospitably  treated 
on  the  way,  several  Cheyenne  Indians,  whom  I  had  met  on 
the  lower  Platte.  Shortly  after  their  arrival  here,  these 
were  out  with  a  party  of  Indians  (themselves  the  principal 
men),  which  discovered  a  few  trappers  in  the  neighboring 
mountains,  whom  they  immediately  murdered,  although 
one  of  them  had  been  nearly  thirty  years  in  the  country, 
and  was  perfectly  well  known,  as  he  had  grown  gray  among 
them. 

''Through  this  portion  of  the  mountains,  also,  are  the 
customary  roads  of  the  war  parties  going  out  against  the 
Utah  and  Shoshone  Indians,  and  occasionally  parties  from 
the  Crow  nation  make  their  way  down  to  the  southward 
along  this  chain,  in  the  expectation  of  surprising  some 
straggling  lodges  of  their  enemies.  Shortly  before  our  ar- 
rival, one  of  their  parties  had  attacked  an  Arapahoe  village 
in  the  vicinity,  which  they  had  found  unexpectedly  strong, 
and  their  assault  was  turned  into  a  rapid  flight  and  a  hot 
pursuit,  in  which  they  had  been  compelled  to  abandon  the 
animals  they  had  ridden,  and  escape  on  their  war  horses. 
Into  this  uncertain  and  dangerous  region,  small  parties  of 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  277 

three  or  four  trappers  who  now  could  collect  together, 
rarely  ventured;  and  consequently  it  was  seldom  visited 
and  little  known.  Having  determined  to  try  the  passage  by 
a  pass  through  a  spur  of  the  mountains  made  by  the  Cache 
a  la  Poudre  River,  which  rises  in  the  high  bed  of  moun- 
tains around  Long's  Peak,  I  thought  it  advisable  to  avoid 
any  incumbrance  which  would  occasion  detention." 

Fremont  now  pushed  westward  across  the  Laramie 
Plains,  and  his  route  lay  from  Cache  la  Poudre  in  Colo- 
rado, up  Hale  Creek,  crossing  over  the  head  of  Harvey 
Creek  near  Red  Butte  to  the  Big  Laramie,  when  he  camped 
four  miles  southv/est  of  where  Laramie  City  now  stands; 
thence  across  to  Little  Laramie;  thence  to  Seven  Mile  Creek, 
Button  Creek  and  Cooper  Creek,  thence  to  a  point  on  Rock 
Creek  near  where  the  old  stage  station  was  afterwards  lo- 
cated. From  this  point  he  traveled  in  a  northwesterly  direc- 
tion, crossing  Wagonhound  Creek,  Medicine  Bow  Creek, 
camping  at  the  north  foot  of  Elk  Mountain.  From  that 
point  he  went  in  a  westerly  direction,  reaching  the  North 
Platte  River  a  short  distance  above  where  Fort  Steele  was 
afterwards  located.  Near  the  North  Platte  they  made  a 
camp,  and  while  there  had  the  following  experience: 

'*A  successful  day's  hunt  had  kept  our  hunters  occupied 
until  late,  and  they  slept  out,  but  rejoined  us  at  daybreak, 
when  finding  ourselves  only  about  a  mile  from  the  river, 
we  followed  the  ravine  down  and  camped  in  a  cottonwood 
grove  on  a  beautiful  grassy  bottom,  where  our  animals  in- 
demnified themselves  for  the  scanty  fare  of  the  past  night. 
It  was  quite  a  pretty  and  pleasant  place;  a  narrow  strip  of 
prairie  about  five  hundred  yards  long  terminated  at  the 
ravine  where  we  entered  by  high  precipitous  hills  closing 
in  upon  the  river,  and  at  the  upper  end  by  a  ridge  of  low 
rolling  hills.  In  the  precipitous  bluffs  were  displayed  a 
succession  of  strata  containing  fossil  vegetable  remains, 
and  several  beds  of  coal.  In  some  of  the  beds  the  coal  did 
not  appear  to  be  perfectly  mineralized,  and  in  some  of  the! 
seams  it  was  compact  and  remarkably  lustrous.  In  these 
latter  places  there  were,  also,  thin  layers  of  very  fine  white 
salts,  in  powder.  As  we  had  a  large  supply  of  meat  in  the 
camp,  which  it  was  necessary  to  dry,  and  the  surrounding 
country  appeared  to  be  well  stocked  with  buffalo,  which  it 
was  probable,  after  a  day  or  two,  we  would  not  see  again 


2/8  History  of  Wyoming. 

until  our  return  to  the  Mississippi  waters,  I  determined  to 
make  here  a  provision  of  dried  meat,  which  would  be  neces- 
sary for  our  subsistence  in  the  region  we  were  about  enter- 
ing, which  was  said  to  be  nearly  destitute  of  game.  Scaf- 
folds were,  accordingly,  soon  erected,  fires  made,  and  the 
meat  cut  up  into  thin  slices  to  be  dried;  and  all  were  busily 
occupied  when  the  camp  was  thrown  into  a  sudden  tumult 
by  a  charge  from  about  seventy  mounted  Indians,  over  the 
low  hills  at  the  upper  end  of  the  little  bottom.  Fortunately, 
the  guard,  who  was  between  them  and  our  animals,  had 
caught  a  glimpse  of  an  Indian's  head  as  he  raised  himself  in 
his  stirrups  to  look  over  the  hill,  a  moment  before  they  made 
the  charge,  and  succeeded  in  turning  the  band  into  the  camp 
as  the  Indians  charged  into  the  bottom  with  the  usual  yell. 
Before  they  reached  us,  the  grove  on  the  verge  of  the  little 
bottom  was  occupied  by  our  people,  and  the  Indians 
brought  to  a  sudden  halt,  which  they  made  in  time  to  save 
themselves  from  a  howitzer  shot,  which  would,  undoubtedly, 
have  been  very  effective  in  such  a  compact  body;  and  fur- 
ther proceedings  were  interrupted  by  their  signs  for  peace. 
They  proved  to  be  a  war  party  of  Arapahoe  and  Cheyenne 
Indians  and  informed  us  that  they  had  charged  upon  the 
camp  under  the  belief  that  we  were  hostile  Indians,  and 
had  discovered  their  mistake  only  at  the  moment  of  attack — 
an  excuse  which  policy  required  us  to  receive  as  true,  though 
under  the  full  conviction  that  the  display  of  our  little  howit- 
zer, and  our  favorable  position  in  the  grove,  certainly 
saved  our  horses,  and  probably  ourselves,  from  their  ma- 
rauding intentions.  They  had  been  on  a  war  party,  and 
had  been  defeated,  and  were  consequently  in  the  state  of 
mind  which  aggravates  their  innate  thirst  for  plunder  and 
blood.  Their  excuse,  however,  was  taken  in  good  part,  and 
the  usual  evidences  of  friendship  interchanged.  The  pipe 
went  round,  provisions  were  spread,  and  the  tobacco  and 
goods  furnished  the  customary  presents,  which  they  look 
for  even  from  traders,  and  much  more  from  government 
authorities.  They  were  returning  from  an  expedition 
against  the  Shoshone  Indians,  one  of  whose  villages  they 
had  surprised,  at  Bridger's  Fort,  on  Ham's  Fork  of  Green 
River  (in  the  absence  of  the  men,  who  were  engaged  in  an 
antelope  surround)  and  succeeded  in  carrying  off  their 
horses  and  taking  several  scalps.  News  of  the  attack 
reached  the  Snakes  immediately,  who  pursued  and  over- 
took them  and  recovered  their  horses,  and  in  the  running 
fight  which  ensued  the  Arapahoes  had  lost  several  men 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  279 

killed  and  a  number  wounded,  who  were  coming  on  more 
slowly  with  a  party  in  the  rear.  Nearly  all  the  horses  they 
had  brought  off  were  the  property  of  the  whites  at  the  fort. 
After  remaining  until  nearly  sunset  they  took  their  de- 
parture; and  the  excitement  which  their  arrival  had  afforded 
subsided  into  our  usual  quiet,  a  little  enlivened  by  the  vigil- 
ance rendered  necessary  by  the  neighborhood  of  our  un- 
certain visitors." 

The  coal  spoken  of  was  found  about  six  miles  from  his 
camping  place  on  the  Platte.  From  there  he  went  up  Sage 
Creek  to  Pine  Grove,  where  there  was  afterwards  a  stage 
station  located.  That  camp  was  within  a  mile  of  the  Con- 
tinental Divide.  From  that  point  his  route  lay  northwest, 
approaching  the  east  rim  of  Red  Desert;  thence  north  to  the 
Sweetwater,  striking  that  river  twenty  miles  above  Devil's 
Gate. 

It  will  be  observed  that  Fremont's  route  from  Fort  St. 
Vrain  west  over  the  Laramie  Plains  was  a  new  exploration. 
A  few  trappers  had  been  in  that  country  before,  it  is  true. 
Ezekiel  Williams  and  his  companions  in  1807  had  passed 
over  these  plains,  but  they  were  fleeing  before  hostile  In- 
dians. Jacques  Laramie  had  also  been  in  that  country  ten 
or  twelve  years  later,  but  he  had  paid  for  his  daring  with  his 
life.  As  Fremont  observes,  nothing  was  known  of  the  coun- 
try up  to  the  time  of  his  expedition  in  1843.  His  explora- 
tions proved  it  to  be  a  practicable  route  from  Fort  St.  Vrain 
west,  and  before  the  end  of  that  decade  hundreds  of  emi- 
grants, who  came  up  the  Arkansas,  followed  that  course, 
and  later  on  the  Overland  stage  was  established  substan- 
tially on  the  line  of  Fremont's  survey.* 

Their  route  then  led  up  the  Sweetwater  to  the  South 
Pass,  going  over  at  a  point  some  miles  south  of  the  place 
crossed  the  preceding  year.  After  leaving  South  Pass  the 
emigrant  road  to  Oregon  was  followed.  Fremont  in  his  re- 
port makes  some  interesting  observations  about  Green 
River.    He  says: 

''This  is  the  emigrant  road  to  Oregon,  which  bears  much 

*I  am  indebted  to  the  well  known  civil  engineer,  M.  N.  Grant,  for  his  assistance  in 
tracing  Fremont's  route  from  Fort  St.  Vrain  to  the  Devil's  Gate. 


28o  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  the  southward,  to  avoid  the  mountains  about  the  western 
heads  of  Green  River— the  Rio  Verde  of  the  Spaniards. 
Crossing  the  river,  here  about  400  feet  wide,  by  a  very  good 
ford,  we  continued  to  descend  for  seven  or  eight  miles  on  a 
pleasant  road  on  the  right  bank  of  the  stream,  of  which  the 
island  and  shores  are  handsomely  timbered  with  cotton- 
wood.  The  refreshing  appearance  of  the  broad  river,  with 
its  timbered  shores  and  green  wooded  islands,  in  contrast 
to  its  dry,  sandy  plains,  probably  obtained  for  it  the  name 
of  Green  River,  which  was  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  Span- 
iards, who  first  came  into  this  country  to  trade  some  twenty- 
five  years  ago.  It  was  then  familiarly  known  as  Seeds-ke- 
dee-agie,  or  Prairie  Hen  River,  a  name  which  it  received 
from  the  Crows,  to  whom  its  upper  waters  belong,  and  on 
which  this  bird  is  still  very  abundant.  By  the  Shoshone  and 
Utah  Indians,  to  whom  belongs,  for  a  considerable  distance 
below,  the  country  where  we  were  now  traveling,  it  was 
called  the  Bitter  Root  River,  from  the  great  abundance  in 
its  valley  of  a  plant  which  affords  them  one  of  their  favorite 
roots.  Lower  down,  from  Brown's  Hole  to  the  southward, 
the  river  runs  through  lofty  chasms,  walled  in  by  precipices 
of  red  rock;  and  even  among  the  wilder  tribes  who  inhabit 
that  portion  of  its  course.  I  have  heard  it  called  by  Indian 
refugees  from  the  Californian  settlements  the  Rio  Colo- 
rado." 

From  Green  River,  the  expedition  headed  for  Bear 
River,  and  followed  down  the  course  of  that  stream  to  Great 
Salt  Lake,  which,  with  the  aid  of  an  India-rubber  boat 
eighteen  feet  long,  carried  for  the  purpose,  the  lake  was 
partially  explored.  Fremont  visited  an  island  in  the  lake 
and  ascended  a  peak  which  upon  measurement  proved  to  be 
800  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water.  On  this  peak  he  ac- 
cidentally left  the  brass  cover  to  the  object  end  of  his  spy- 
glass. I  mention  this  fact  to  put  at  rest  the  prevailing 
opinion  among  the  old-timers  in  Wyoming  that  this  acci- 
dent happened  on  Fremont's  Peak. 

On  September  19th  the  expedition  arrived  at  Fort  Hall,^ 
and  on  the  22nd  left  for  Oregon  and  joined  the  survey  to  that 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  281 

of  Captain  Wilkes,  thus  connecting  explorations  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Pacific.  The  winter  was  spent  in  explor- 
ing the  mountains  of  California,  and  finally  in  May,  Fremont 
passed  around  the  southern  rim  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  to 
the  point  visited  the  previous  September,  having  made  a  cir- 
cuit of  3,500  miles  exploring  the  streams  and  mountains  of 
Oregon  and  northern  California  from  the  Rocky  Mountains 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  On  the  return  journey  from  Salt  Lake, 
Fremont  explored  the  Colorado  River,  the  headwaters  of 
the  Arkansas  and  the  great  parks  of  Colorado,  returning 
to  St.  Louis  on  August  6th,  1844.  He  had  many  adventures 
during  the  trip  and  in  all  traveled  7,000  miles. 

Fremont  headed  another  expedition  in  1845,  going  west 
by  the  northern  waters  of  the  Arkansas  to  Great  Salt  Lake, 
thence  directly  across  the  central  basin  towards  California 
over  a  route  of  which  he  was  the  first  explorer.  Arriving  in 
California,  he  instructed  the  main  body  to  go  on  to  San 
Jose  and  there  remain  until  he  should  join  them.  Wishing 
to  avoid  all  occasion  of  ill-will  or  suspicion  on  the  part  of 
the  Mexican  authorities  in  California,  he  went  alone  to 
Monterey,  and  made  himself  known  to  Mr.  Larkin,  the  con- 
sul of  the  United  States  in  that  city,  and,  accompanied  by 
him,  waited  upon  Alvarado,  the  Alcalde,  Manuel  Castro, 
the  Perfecto,  and  Carlos  Castro,  the  commanding  general, 
who  constituted  the  leading  authorities  of  the  country.  He 
communicated  his  object  in  coming  into  California,  stating 
that  he  had  not  a  single  soldier  of  the  United  States  army  in 
his  party,  and  that  his  sole  purpose  was  a  scientific  explora- 
tion of  the  continent,  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  the  best 
mode  of  establishing  a  commercial  intercourse  between  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  regions.  He  requested  permission  to 
winter  in  the  country,  recruit  his  company,  and  continue 
his  explorations.  His  request  was  granted.  He  then  re- 
paired to  his  party  at  San  Jose,  where  they  remained  several 
weeks. 

Shortly  after  this  interview  with  General  Castro,  or- 
ders were  received  by  that  officer  to  drive  Fremont  out  of 
the  country,  or  send  him  prisoner  to  the  City  of  Mexico. 


282  History  of  Wyoming. 

Of  these  orders  Fremont  had  no  knowledge  until  a  long  time 
afterwards.  The  first  intimation  he  had  of  any  unfriendly 
feeling  towards  him,  was  in  certain  movements,  at  various 
points,  which  seemed  to  have  a  threatening  aspect,  as  if 
aimed  at  him.  But  the  interview  with  Castro  and  the  other 
high  officers  at  headquarters  was  so  recent  and  had  been  so 
friendly  and  cordial  that  he  would  hardly  believe  that  the 
appearances  that  had  attracted  his  attention  were  meant 
against  him.  At  length,  however,  on  the  3rd  of  March,  when 
within  about  twenty-five  miles  of  Monterey,  he  was  met  by 
an  officer  who  had  a  detachment  of  eighty  dragoons  in  his 
rear  to  enforce  his  message,  with  a  letter  from  Castro,  order- 
ing him  without  any  explanation,  peremptorily,  out  of  the 
country.  The  communication  was  in  such  a  tone,  so  entirely 
in  violation  of  the  arrangement  made  at  Monterey  on  his 
visit  to  the  authorities  of  the  country,  in  that  place,  and  the 
demonstrations  were,  all  around,  of  such  a  belligerent  look 
and  character,  that  Captain  Fremont  felt  no  disposition  to 
pay  a  hurried  obedience  to  the  order.  He  marched  with  his 
party  directly  to  a  lofty  hill,  called  Hawk's  Peak.  It  com- 
manded a  view,  to  a  great  extent,  all  around  the  country. 
In  that  pure  atmosphere  distant  objects  were  clearly  seen, 
and  brought  minutely  to  view  by  the  aid  of  spy-glasses.  It 
was  evident  that  preparations  were  going  on  to  attack  him. 
The  enemy  was  seen  scaling  his  guns,  and  gathering  Cali- 
fornians  and  Indians  into  his  ranks.  Captain  Fremont  at 
once  proceeded  to  fortify  his  position,  and  erected  a  staff  on 
its  highest  point,  forty  feet  in  length,  and  unfurled  from  it 
the  flag  of  his  country.  His  own  spirit  pervaded  his  whole 
party.  Although  few  in  number,  and  far  away  from  aid, 
in  the  heart  of  a  foreign  country,  thus  suddenly  assuming  a 
hostile  attitude  towards  them,  they  were  determined  to 
defend  themselves  against  any  assault,  by  however  great 
a  force  it  might  be  made,  and  were  thoroughly  prepared  to 
meet  the  last  extremity. 

The  Mexicans  made  every  preparation  to  attack  Fre- 
mont in  his  stronghold,  but  the  reputation  of  his  unerring 
riflemen  kept  them  at  a  distance.     At  this  time  Fremont 


Fremonfs  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  283 

had  sixty  men  under  him,  a  force  suflScient,  considering 
their  character  and  their  fortifications,  to  defy  any  number 
of  Mexicans.  Finding  that  the  Mexicans  would  not  make 
an  attack,  the  American  commander  moved  his  force  down 
into  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  and  through  northern  Califor- 
nia toward  Oregon, 

The  attitude  of  Fremont  in  California  caused  much  ex- 
citement when  the  news  reached  the  states.  There  was  a 
conservative  class  of  people  who  were  disposed  to  criticise 
this  conduct  of  an  Anjerican  officer  on  foreign  soil,  but  Sen- 
ator Benton,  when  the  subject  came  up  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  made  an  eloquent  speech  explaining  Fremont's  po- 
sition and  giving  fully  the  details  which  led  to  the  event 
on  Hawk's  Peak.  In  closing  his  speech,  he  said:  "Such 
was  the  reason  for  raising  the  flag.  It  was  raised  at  the 
approach  of  danger;  it  was  taken  down  when  danger  dis- 
appeared. It  was  well  and  nobly  done,  and  worthy  of  our 
admiration.  Sixty  of  our  countrymen,  three  thousand  miles 
from  home,  in  sight  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  appealing  to  the 
flag  of  their  country,  unfurling  it  on  the  mountain  top  and 
determined  to  die  under  it  before  they  would  submit  to  un- 
just aggression." 

Fremont  had  with  him  on  this  occasion  some  of  the  best 
fighters  the  world  ever  saw.  There  was  Kit  Carson,  Max- 
well, Godey,  Owens,  Stepp,  and  a  dozen  more  of  the  same 
stamp,  all  men  who  could  be  depended  upon  to  uphold  the 
flag  of  their  country.  Proceeding  up  into  Oregon,  he  was 
met  by  a  special  messenger  from  James  Buchanan,  then 
Secretary  of  State,  and  instructed  to  watch  events  in  Cali- 
fornia in  the  interest  of  the  United  States,  This  caused  him 
to  face  about  and  go  back  into  northern  California,  but 
before  leaving  his  camp  he  was  attacked  by  Tlamath  Indi- 
ans in  the  night  and  five  of  his  men  were  killed.  He  pushed 
on  to  California  and  found  the  whole  country  in  a  state  of 
great  alarm.  American  residents  flocked  to  him  for  pro- 
tection. To  make  matters  worse,  the  Indians  in  the  country 
commenced  hostilities.  Fremont  acted  promptly,  marching 
against  the  Indians  and  defeating  them  in  several  engage- 


284  History  of  Wyoming. 

ments.  He  next  organized  a  movement  having  for  its  ob- 
ject a  free  and  independent  government  for  California. 
Commodore  Sloat  of  the  American  navy  being  on  that  coast 
and  hearing  of  Fremont's  movements,  and  supposing  him 
to  be  acting  under  orders,  took  possession  of  Monterey,  after 
which  Fremont  raised  the  American  flag  over  Sutter's  Fort. 
This  was  July  11,  1846.  The  prompt  action  of  Fremont  re- 
sulted in  bringing  California  into  the  Union.  Previous  to 
this  he  had  been  promoted  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  reg- 
ular army.  Upon  the  organization  of  a  state  government  for 
California,  when  it  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  September 
9, 1850,  Colonel  J.  C.  Fremont  was  elected  one  of  the  United 
States  Senators.  But  before  these  events  took  place,  he 
had  returned  home  and  organized  another  exploring  expe- 
dition. This  fourth  journey  to  the  wilderness  was  com- 
menced October  19,  1848.  The  guide  on  this  occasion  was 
Bill  Williams,  a  noted  mountaineer.  The  party  left  Pueblo 
on  the  25th  of  November  and  attempted  to  pass  directly 
west  over  the  mountains.  Deep  snows  were  encountered 
and  the  weather  proved  unusually  severe.  He  lost  eleven  of 
his  men  by  starvation  and  cold,  but  he  pushed  his  way  on 
by  the  southern  route  to  California.  In  1856  Colonel  Fre- 
mont was  nominated  for  President  by  the  Kepublican  party, 
then  in  its  infancy,  he  being  the  first  candidate  of  that  party. 
He  was  defeated,  of  course,  and  James  Buchanan  elected. 
On  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  he  ten- 
dered his  services  to  the  national  government  and  was  ap- 
pointed a  Major-General  and  at  once  took  the  field.  In 
1878  he  was  appointed  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona, 
which  position  he  filled  for  four  years.  He  died  in  the  City 
of  New  York,  July  13,  1890.  For  some  years  previous  to  his 
death  he  was  in  extreme  poverty,  though  once  a  millionaire. 
His  fortune  was  spent  in  behalf  of  the  west  and  the  country 
at  large. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  for  me  to  say  here  that  I  met 
Fremont  during  the  summer  of  1856,  and  from  that  time 
until  his  death  enjoyed  his  personal  friendship.  To  me  he 
appeared  the  ideal  explorer  who  would  brave  every  danger, 


Fremont's  Explorations  in  Wyoming.  285 

the  patriot  who  watched  over  the  welfare  of  his  country, 
the  soldier  who  would  dare  to  do  and  die,  the  gallant  com- 
mander  who  would  never  ask  men  to  go  where  he  would  not 
lead,  the  scientific  scholar  who  commanded  the  respect  of 
every  learned  man  of  the  country,  and  withal  a  man  inspired 
with  virtues  beyond  most  of  his  fellows. 

General  John  C.  Fremont  did  more  for  the  west  than 
any  other  explorer,  statesman  or  patriot.  His  worthy  deeds 
and  brilliant  achievements  will  make  him  remembered  by 
all  coming  generations.  He  it  was  who  pointed  out  the 
great  value  of  the  west  and  the  importance  of  constructing 
a  railroad  across  the  mountains,  and  he  proved  by  his  sur- 
veys  that  such  railroad  construction  was  easy  of  accom- 
plishment. He  laid  the  foundation  for  a  group  of  western 
commonwealths  and  fixed  therein  a  standard  of  excellence 
of  manhood;  declaring  that  he  who  does  the  greatest  ser- 
vice for  the  state  is  the  most  exalted  citizen.  Political  dem- 
agogues have  tried  to  dim  the  lustre  of  his  achievements, 
but  their  puny  efforts  have  been  drowned  by  the  whistle  of 
the  locomotive  of  the  ever  advancing  train  of  civilization 
which  followed  his  lead,  the  hum  of  human  industries  which 
cluster  on  the  mountain  side,  results  of  his  creation,  and 
the  acclamations  of  the  millions  who  have  made  happy 
homes  in  the  Rockies  and  on  the  Pacific  slope,  and  whose 
hero  ever  will  be  the  Pathfinder. 


286  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

DISCOVERIES     IN     YELLOWSTONE     PARK- 

JosEPH  Meek  Strays  Into  the  Park  in  1829,  and  Tells  What  He 
Saw — An  Unknown  Explorer  in  1833  Writes  the  First  Descrip- 
tion OF  the  Geysers — Jim  Bridger  in  1850  Takes  His  Friends  to 
See  the  Curiosities  at  the  PIead  of  the  Yellowstone,  Which 
He  Had  Been  Telling  About  for  Twenty-Five  Years — Rey- 
nolds Expedition  of  i860  is  Prevented  by  Deep  Snow  from  En- 
tering the  Geyser  Country — Numerous  Prospectors  See  the 
Thermal  Springs  and  Geysers — The  Folsom  Expedition  of  1869 
— Organization  of  the  Washburn  Expedition   in  1870. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  first  discovery  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone National  Park  by  John  Colter  in  the  year  1807. 
I  also  refer  in  another  part  of  this  work  to  the  visit  of  Jim 
Bridger  and  Robert  Meldrum  to  that  locality  in  1824,  and 
now  in  regular  order  comes  the  important  explorations  of 
Joseph  Meek  in  the  year  1829.  He  was  one  of  Captain 
William  Sublette's  men  and  was  in  company  with  other 
trappers.  They  were  leaving  the  Snake  River  country,  pass- 
ing over  into  Montana,  and  were  attacked  by  Blackfeet  Indi- 
ans. By  some  means  Meek  was  cut  off  from  the  main  body, 
and  on  foot  and  alone  he  wandered  for  several  days,  and  by 
chance  his  route  lay  through  the  most  interesting  portion  of 
the  park.  His  adventures  are  thus  described  in  "The  River 
of  the  West,"  a  book  written  in  1869  but  not  published  until 
1871.  I  will  make  but  a  single  quotation  from  this  work, 
simply  to  show  that  the  curiosities  in  the  park  were  noted 
by  that  wandering  class,  the  trappers.  Meek's  biographer 
thus  describes  what  this  man,  who  was  lost,  saw  while  try- 
ing to  work  his  way  out  of  the  desolate  country.  He  had 
traveled  five  days  without  food  or  shelter,  his  course  had 
been  in  a  southerly  direction,  and  consequently  he  had 
reached  Wyoming. 

"Being  desirous  to  learn  something  of  the  progress  he 
had  made,  he  ascended  a  low  mountain  in  the  neighborhood 


Discoveries  in  Yellowstone  Park.  287 

of  his  camp,  and  behold!  the  whole  country  beyond  was 
smoking  with  vapor  from  boiling  springs,  and  burning  with 
gases  issuing  from  small  craters,  each  of  which  was  emit- 
ting a  sharp  whistling  sound.  When  the  first  surprise  of 
this  astonishing  scene  had  passed,  Joe  began  to  admire  its 
effect  from  an  artistic  point  of  view.  The  morning  being 
clear,  with  a  sharp  frost,  he  thought  himself  reminded  of 
the  City  of  Pittsburg  as  he  had  beheld  it  on  a  winter  morn- 
ing a  couple  of  years  before.  This,  however,  related  only 
to  the  rising  smoke  and  vapor;  for  the  extent  of  the  volcanic 
region  was  immense,  reaching  far  out  of  sight.  The  general 
face  of  the  country  was  smooth  and  rolling,  being  a  level 
plain,  dotted  with  cone-shaped  mounds.  On  the  summit 
of  these  mounds  were  small  craters  from  four  to  eight  feet 
in  diameter.  Interspersed  among  these  on  the  level  plain 
were  larger  craters,  some  of  them  from  four  to  six  feet 
across.  Out  of  these  craters  issued  blue  flames  and  molten 
brimstone." 

This  man  Meek  was  three  years  later  with  Captain  Bon- 
neville and  remained  with  him  for  three  years,  and  was  well 
known  among  trappers  in  Wyoming, 

The  above  account  by  Meek  may  be  considered  reliable 
as  far  as  it  goes,  but  he  only  got  a  glimpse  of  a  small  portion 
of  the  park.  By  many  persons  this  trapper  is  considered  an 
exaggerator,  but  in  this  instance  he  could  hardly  be  accused 
of  this  to  any  great  extent. 

Hon.  N.  P.  Langford  has  kindly  contributed  for  this 
work  a  clipping  from  "The  Wasp,"  a  Mormon  paper  pub- 
lished at  Nauvoo,  Illinois.  The  article  is  taken  from  the 
issue  of  August  13,  1842,  but  the  incident  referred  to  took 
place  nine  years  earlier.  This  is  the  first  written  description 
of  the  park  by  a  man  who  was  on  the  ground.  All  that  has 
come  before  are  stories  told  by  trappers  around  the  camp 
fire.  The  name  of  the  writer  is  unknown  and  at  one  time 
Mr.  Langford  was  of  the  opinion  that  Captain  Bonneville 
was  the  author,  but  a  letter  from  him  in  1875  to  the  Mon- 
tana Historical  Society  proves  that  he  did  not  write  it.  Mr. 
Langford  has  furnished  me  with  a  copy  of  the  Bonneville 
letter,  which  reads  as  follows : 

"You  ask  me  if  I  knew  of  the  thermal  springs  and  gey- 
sers.   Not  personally;  but  my  men  knew  about  them  and 


288  History  of  Wyoming. 

called  their  location  the  Fire  Hole.  I  recollect  the  name 
of  Alvarez  as  a  trader.  I  think  he  came  to  the  mountains  as 
I  was  leaving  them.  •  *  *  Half  a  century  is  a  long  time 
to  look  back,  and  I  do  so  doubting  myself." 

The  "Wasp"  letter  I  regard  as  a  valuable  contribution 
to  the  History  of  Wyoming,  and  it  is  with  satisfaction  that 
I  give  it  a  place  in  these  pages.  In  speaking  of  the  author 
of  this  letter,  Mr.  Langford  says: 

"The  writer's  graphic  descriptions  stamp  him  as  a  man 
of  culture  and  ability,  and  it  would  be  interesting  to  know 
who  he  is  and  what  fortune  or  enterprise  brought  him  into 
that  region  at  that  early  day.  As  the  narrative  was  pub- 
lished in  a  Mormon  paper,  it  is  not  impossible  that  the 
W'riter  was  spying  out  the  country  in  the  interest  of  the  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints." 

The  communication  to  "The  Wasp"  reads  as  follows : 
"I  had  heard  in  the  summer  of  1833,  while  at  rendez- 
vous, that  remarkable  boiling  springs  had  been  discovered 
on  the  sources  of  the  Madison,  by  a  party  of  trappers,  in 
their  spring  hunt;  of  which  the  accounts  they  gave  were  so 
very  astonishing  that  I  determined  to  examine  them  myself 
before  recording  their  description,  though  I  had  the  united 
testimony  of  more  than  twenty  men  on  the  subject,  who  all 
declared  they  saw  them,  and  that  they  really  were  as  exten- 
sive and  remarkable  as  they  had  been  described.  Having 
now  an  opportunity  of  paying  them  a  visit,  and  as  another 
or  a  better  might  not  soon  occur,  I  parted  with  the  company 
after  supper,  and  taking  with  me  two  Pen  d'Oreilles  (who 
were  induced  to  make  the  excursion  with  me  by  the  promise 
of  an  extra  present),  set  out  at  a  round  pace,  the  night  being 
clear  and  comfortable.  We  proceeded  over  the  plain  about 
twenty  miles,  and  halted  until  daylight  on  a  fine  spring 
flowing  into  Kamas  Creek.  Kefreshed  by  a  few  hours' 
sleep,  we  started  again  after  a  hasty  breakfast  and  entered 
into  a  very  extensive  forest  known  as  the  Pine  Woods  (a 
continued  succession  of  low  mountains  or  hills  entirely  cov- 
ered by  a  dense  growth  of  this  species  of  timber),  which  we 
passed  through,  and  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  springs 
about  dark,  having  seen  several  small  lakes  or  ponds  on  the 
sources  of  the  Madison,  and  rode  about  forty  miles — which 
was  a  hard  day's  ride,  taking  into  consideration  the  rough 
irregularity  of  the  country  through  which  we  had  traveled. 
"We  regaled  ourselves  with  a  cup  of  coffee,  the  ma- 


Discoveries  in  Yellowstone  Park.  289 

terials  for  making  which  we  had  brought  with  us,  and  imme- 
diately after  supper  lay  down  to  rest,  sleepy  and  much  fa- 
tigued. The  continual  roaring  of  the  springs,  however, 
(which  was  distinctly  heard),  for  some  time  prevented  my 
going  to  sleep,  and  excited  an  impatient  curiosity  to  exam- 
ine them,  which  I  was  obliged  to  defer  the  gratification  of 
until  morning,  and  filled  my  slumbers  with  visions  of  water- 
spouts, cataracts,  fountains,  jets  d'eau  of  immense  dimen- 
sions, etc.,  etc. 

"When  I  arose  in  the  morning  clouds  of  vapor  seemed 
like  a  dense  fog  to  overhang  the  springs,  from  which  fre- 
quent reports  or  explosions  of  different  loudness  constantly 
assailed  our  ears,  I  immediately  proceeded  to  inspect  them, 
and  might  have  exclaimed  with  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  when 
their  full  reality  of  dimensions  and  novelty  burst  upon  my 
view,  'the  half  was  not  told  me.' 

"From  the  surface  of  a  rocky  plain  or  table  burst  forth 
columns  of  water  of  various  dimensions,  projected  high  in 
the  air,  accompanied  by  loud  explosions  and  sulphurous 
vapors  which  were  highly  disagreeable  to  the  smell.  The 
rock  from  which  these  springs  burst  forth  was  calcareous, 
and  probably  extends  some  distance  from  them,  beneath 
the  soil.  The  largest  of  these  wonderful  fountains  projects 
a  column  of  boiling  water  several  feet  in  diameter  to  the 
height  of  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  in  my  opin- 
ion; but  the  party  of  Alvarez,  who  discovered  it,  persist  in 
declaring  that  it  could  not  be  less  than  four  times  that  dis- 
tance in  height — accompanied  with  a  tremendous  noise. 
These  explosions  and  discharges  occur  at  intervals  of  about 
two  hours.  After  having  witnessed  three  of  them,  I  ven- 
tured near  enough  to  put  my  hand  into  the  water  of  its  ba- 
sin, but  withdrew  it  instantly,  for  the  heat  of  the  water  in 
this  immense  cauldron  was  altogether  too  great  for  my 
comfort;  and  the  agitation  of  the  water,  the  disagreeable 
effluvium  constantly  exuding,  and  the  hollow,  unearthly 
rumbling  under  the  rock  on  which  I  stood,  so  ill  accorded 
with  my  notions  of  personal  safety  that  I  retreated  back 
precipitately  to  a  respectful  distance.  The  Indians  who 
were  with  me  were  quite  appalled  and  could  not  by  any 
means  be  induced  to  approach  them.  They  seemed  aston- 
ished at  my  presumption  in  advancing  up  to  the  large  one, 
and  when  I  safely  returned,  congratulated  me  on  my  'nar- 
row escape.'  They  believed  them  to  be  supernatural,  and 
supposed  them  to  be  the  production  of  the  Evil  Spirit.  One 
of  them  remarked  that  hell,  of  which  he  had  heard  from  the 
-{19) 


290  History  of  Wyoming. 

whites,  must  be  in  that  vicinity.  The  diameter  of  the  basin 
into  which  the  waters  of  the  largest  jet  principally  fall,  and 
from  the  center  of  which,  through  a  hole  in  the  rock  of 
about  nine  or  ten  feet  in  diameter,  the  water  spouts  up  as 
above  related,  may  be  about  thirty  feet.  There  are  many 
other  smaller  fountains  that  did  not  throw  their  waters  up 
so  high,  but  occurred  at  shorter  intervals.  In  some  in- 
stances, the  volumes  were  projected  obliquely  upwards,  and 
fell  into  the  neighboring  fountains,  or  on  the  rock  or  prairie. 
But  their  ascent  was  generally  perpendicular,  falling  in  or 
about  their  own  basins  or  apertures.  These  wonderful  pro- 
ductions of  nature  are  situated  near  the  center  of  a  small 
valley,  surrounded  by  pine-crowned  hills,  through  which 
a  small  fork  of  the  Madison  flows. 

"From  several  trappers  who  had  recently  returned  from 
the  Yellowstone,  I  received  an  account  of  boiling  springs 
that  differ  from  those  seen  at  Salt  River  only  in  magnitude, 
being  on  a  vastly  larger  scale;  some  of  their  cones  are  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  and  forty  to  fifty  paces  in  cir- 
cumference. Those  which  have  ceased  to  emit  boiling  vapor, 
etc.,  of  which  there  were  several,  are  full  of  shelving  cavi- 
ties, even  some  fathoms  in  extent,  which  give  them,  inside, 
an  appearance  of  a  honey-comb.  The  ground  for  several 
acres  in  extent  in  the  vicinity  of  the  springs  is  evidently 
hollow  and  constantly  exhales  a  hot  steam  or  vapor  of  dis- 
agreeable odor,  and  a  character  entirely  to  prevent  vegeta- 
tion. They  are  situated  in  the  valley  at  the  head  of  that 
river,  near  the  lake  which  constitutes  its  source. 

"A  short  distance  from  these  springs,  near  the  margin 
of  the  lake,  there  is  one  quite  different  from  any  yet  de- 
scribed. It  is  of  a  circular  form,  several  feet  in  diameter, 
clear,  cold  and  pure;  the  bottom  appears  visible  to  the  eye, 
and  seems  seven  or  eight  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth 
or  water,  yet  it  has  been  sounded  with  a  lodge  pole  fifteen 
feet  in  length  without  meeting  any  resistance.  What  is 
most  singular  with  respect  to  this  fountain  is  the  fact  that 
at  regular  intervals  of  about  two  minutes,  a  body  or  column 
of  water  bursts  up  to  the  height  of  eight  feet,  with  an  explo- 
sion as  loud  as  the  report  of  a  musket,  and  then  falls  back 
into  it;  for  a  few  seconds  the  water  is  roiled,  but  it  speedily 
settles,  and  becomes  transparent  as  before  the  efluxion. 
This  spring  was  believed  to  be  connected  with  the  lake  by 
some  subterranean  passage,  but  the  cause  of  its  periodical 
eruptions  or  discharges  is  entirely  unknown.  I  have  never 
before  heard  of  a  cold  spring  whose  waters  exhibit  the  phe- 


Discoveries  in  Yellowstone  Park.  291 

nomena  of  periodical  explosive  propulsion  in  the  form  of  a 
jet.  The  geysers  of  Iceland,  and  the  various  other  European 
springs,  the  waters  of  which  are  projected  upwards  with 
violence  and  uniformity,  as  well  as  those  seen  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Madison,  are  invariably  hot." 

In  commenting  on  this  explorer's  account  of  the  won- 
ders of  the  Yellowstone  Park,  Mr.  Langf ord  says : 

''The  writer  of  'The  Wasp'  letter  speaks  of  one  curious 
thing:  that  of  an  eruption  of  a  cold  spring.  I  think  that  I 
can  explain  what  seemed  to  him  such  a  strange  phenomenon. 
He  says,  'this  spring  was  believed  to  be  connected  with  the 
lake  by  some  subterranean  passage.'  I  have  no  doubt  that 
the  pipe  of  some  deep  geyser  opened  into  the  bottom  of  this 
pond,  or  spring,  as  it  was  termed,  and  when  an  eruption  of 
the  geyser  took  place  the  cold  surface  water  was  forced 
into  the  air  to  a  considerable  height.  After  the  eruption, 
when  the  geyser  water  had  receded  to  the  depth  of  forty  or 
fifty  feet  from  the  surface,  and  the  pipe  had  become  filled 
with  the  cold  water  from  the  pond  or  lake,  there  would  be 
nothing  to  indicate  to  the  eye  that  it  was  anything  else 
than  a  spouting  cold  spring.  In  support  of  this  belief,  I 
will  mention  that  in  1870  I  found  several  small  geysers  in 
the  bed  of  the  Fire  Hole  River  which  spouted  their  waters 
through  the  cold  running  water  of  that  stream. 

"  'The  Wasp'  writer  also  speaks  of  the  deposits  around 
the  springs  as  'rocks.'  Bridger  fell  into  the  same  error. 
General  Reynolds  in  his  report  (Ex.  Doc.  No.  77,  Fortieth 
Congress,  page  77)  says  that  Bridger  told  him  of  a  stream 
of  cold  water  that  flowed  over  a  smooth  surface  of  rock  so 
rapidly  that  it  became  hot  at  the  bottom.  Bridger  told  me 
the  same  story,  which  I  regard  as  a  figment  of  his  imagina- 
tion; but  in  1870,  while  fording,  bare-footed,  the  Fire  Hole 
River,  I  found  that  what  first  appeared  to  be  a  smooth  rock 
in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  was  a  silicious  incrustation,  deposi- 
ted by  a  hot  spring  underneath;  and  the  heat  was  so  great 
that  I  could  not  stand  still  on  the  incrustation  more  than 
fifteen  seconds.  Without  doubt  a  similar  spring  caused  the 
heat  which  Bridger  attributed  to  friction  produced  by  the 
rapid  flow  of  water  down  a  smooth,  steep  declivity. 

"Captain  John  Mullan,  in  his  report  published  by  the 
War  Department  in  February,  1863  (Ex.  Doc.  No.  48)  says 
that  as  early  as  1853  his  attention  was  called  to  the  wild 
open  region  lying  between  Deer  Lodge  Valley  and  Fort  Lar- 
amie, and  that  he  learned  of  the  existence  of  an  infinite 


292  History  of  Wyoming. 

number  of  hot  springs  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellow- 
stone, Missouri  and  Columbia  Rivers ;  and  on  page  20  of  that 
report  he  again  speaks  of  the  mild  climate  of  that  region 
as  follows: 

"  'This  is  as  true  as  it  is  strange,  and  shows  unerringly 
that  there  exists  in  this  zone  an  atmospheric  river  of  heat, 
flowing  through  this  region,  varying  in  width  from  one  to 
one  hundred  miles,  according  to  the  physical  face  of  the 
country,' 

"Captain  Mullan  believed  that  this  aerial  river  of  heat 
had  its  origin  in  these  hot  springs." 

To  resume  the  explorations  of  the  northwest  portion 
of  Wyoming,  I  will  quote  from  Gunnison's  History  of  the 
Mormons,  where  is  found  a  graphic  description  of  the  won- 
ders of  this  part  of  our  state.  This  author,  in  speaking  of 
Jim  Bridger's  account  of  the  country,  says,  under  date  of 
1850,  that  "Bridger  gives  a  picture  most  romantic  and  en- 
ticing of  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone.  A  lake  sixty 
miles  long,  cold  and  pellucid,  lies  embosomed  among  high 
precipitous  mountains.  On  the  west  side  is  a  sloping  plain, 
several  miles  wide,  with  clumps  of  trees  and  groves  of 
pines.  The  ground  resounds  with  the  tread  of  horses.  Gey- 
sers spout  up  seventy  feet  high,  with  a  terrific  hissing  noise, 
at  regular  intervals.  Waterfalls  are  sparkling,  leaping  and 
thundering  down  the  precipices,  and  collect  in  the  pool  be- 
low. The  river  issues  from  this  lake,  and  for  fifteen  miles 
roars  through  the  perpendicular  canon  at  the  outlet.  In 
this  section  are  the  Great  Springs,  so  hot  that  meat  is  rapid- 
ly cooked  in  them,  and  as  they  descend  on  the  successive 
terraces,  afford  at  length  delight ul  baths.  On  the  other  side 
is  an  acid  spring,  which  gushes  out  in  a  river  torrent,  and 
below  is  a  cave  which  supplies  vermilion  for  the  savages  in 
abundance." 

In  confirmation  of  the  above,  I  will  state  that  Topping 
gives  an  account  of  a  prospecting  trip  into  that  country  in 
the  spring  of  1850.  The  party  was  composed  of  Jim  Bridger, 
Kit  Carson,  Wiggins,  Krusse,  Anderson  and  about  twenty 
others.  Late  in  the  fall  of  1849  they  arrived  at  the  camp 
of  the  Bannocks  on  Green  River,  where  they  fixed  up  winter 


Discoveries  in  Yellowstone  Park.  293 

quarters  and  remained  with  the  Indians  till  spring*.  As 
soon  as  the  snow  would  permit,  they  went  up  Green  River 
to  its  headwaters,  crossed  the  mountains  to  the  Yellow- 
stone and  down  it  to  the  lake  and  falls;  then  they  crossed 
the  divide  and  thus  reached  Madison  River.  They  saw  the 
geysers  of  the  lower  river  and  named  the  stream  that  drains 
them  **The  Fire  Hole  River."  Vague  reports  of  this  wonder- 
ful country  had  been  heard  before.  They  had  not  been  cred- 
ited, but  had  been  considered  as  trappers'  tales — more  im- 
agination than  fact.  The  report  of  this  party  made  quite  a 
stir  in  St.  Louis  and  a  company  was  organized  there  the 
next  winter  to  explore  this  country,  but  from  some  un- 
known cause  did  not  start,  and  not  until  1863  were  the  gey- 
sers again  visited.  This  time  a  party  went  down  on  the 
Madison  until  out  of  the  mountains  and  then  across  the 
country  to  the  Yellowstone,  and  they  lay  in  camp  on  Shields 
River  for  two  months.  They  were  not  troubled  by  Indians 
until  the  last  of  November,  when  a  band  of  Blackfeet  tried 
to  run  off  their  horses.  These  Indians  succeeded  in  captur- 
ing eight  head,  but  two  of  their  warriors  were  killed.  Not 
wishing  to  be  cleaned  out  entirely,  the  party  packed  up  and 
went  to  the  Platte  via  Wind  River.  At  this  point  they  dis- 
banded. 

It  is  not  a  little  surprising  that  our  government  was  so 
slow  in  sending  an  expedition  into  this  wonderland,  the 
existence  of  which  had  become  well  known  to  the  people 
of  the  whole  country.  Stories  told  by  Colter,  Bridger,  Mel- 
drum,  Meek,  Carson,  Wiggins,  Krusse  and  Anderson  had 
after  a  time  become  household  tales  throughout  the  land 
and  yet  the  official  heads  of  the  great  Republic  refused  to 
see  the  importance  of  making  explorations,  but  finally  in 
1859,  fifty-two  years  after  John  Colter  had  explored  the 
sources  of  the  Yellowstone,  the  government  fitted  out  an 
expedition,  in  charge  of  Captain  W.  F.  Reynolds,  of  the 
Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers.  Captain  Reynolds  was 
ordered  to  explore  'Hhe  region  of  country  through  which 
flows  the  principal  tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone  River, 
and  the  mountains  in  which  they,  and  the  Gallatin  and  Mad- 


294  History  of  Wyoming. 

ison  Forks  of  the  Missouri,  have  their  source."  The  expe- 
dition was  overloaded  with  instructions  and  had  entirely  too 
much  work  assigned  it  to  accomplish  the  important  end  in 
view,  namely,  to  explore  the  sources  of  the  Yellowstone. 
Captain  Reynolds  made  a  winter  camp  on  Deer  Creek,  in 
Wyoming,  the  fall  of  1859,  and  in  May,  1860,  started  for  the 
Wind  River  Valley  with  Jim  Bridger  as  guide.  It  should  be 
here  remarked  that  Dr.  F.  V.  Hayden  accompanied  the 
expedition  as  geologist.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Popo  Agie 
River  the  party  was  divided.  Reynolds  with  one  division 
went  up  the  Wind  River.  The  other  division  under  Lieuten- 
ant Maynardier  went  north  with  the  understanding  that 
the  two  parties  should  meet  at  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Mis- 
souri. The  division  under  Reynolds  followed  up  the  Big 
Wind  River  to  its  source,  and  there  discovering  a  low  pass, 
entered  it  and  crossed  over  to  the  west  side  of  the  moun- 
tains. Reynolds'  party  was  not  the  first  by  any  means  to 
discover  this  low  pass.  Hunt  and  Bonneville  were  before 
him,  but  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  naming  it  Union  Pass 
for  the  reason  that  it  united  two  great  valleys. 

After  crossing  the  mountain  he  turned  north,  hoping 
to  find  a  passage  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone,  but 
the  snow  lay  deep  in  the  mountains  and  he  was  unable  to 
force  a  passage;  therefore  the  party  headed  west  and  finally 
missed  the  park  entirely.  The  division  under  Lieutenant 
Maynardier  kept  away  from  the  mountains  and  at  last 
reached  the  Three  Forks,  where  was  found  the  commander 
awaiting  them.  This  government  expedition  resulted  in 
nothing  as  far  as  the  upper  Yellowstone  was  concerned. 
Less  than  a  year  after  its  return,  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
broke  out  and  the  army  officers  found  employment  on  the 
battlefields  of  the  south.  During  the  war  a  number  of  pros- 
pecting parties  from  Montana  entered  the  upper  Yellow- 
stone country  and  some  of  them  saw  the  wonders  of  the 
park,  but  the  gold  excitement  was  too  intense  to  allow  nat- 
ural wonders  to  attract  public  attention  at  that  time.  In 
1863  a  prospecting  party  left  Virginia  City,  Montana,  going 
into  Idaho  and  finally  reached  the  Snake  River.     They 


Discoveries  in  Yellowstone  Park.  295 

passed  up  that  stream  through  Jackson's  Hole  and  finally 
discovered  what  is  now  known  as  Shoshone  Lake;  then 
passed  directly  through  the  park,  noted  many  hot  springs 
and  some  geysers;  but  the  leader  of  the  party,  Walter  W. 
DeLacy,  was  in  search  of  gold,  and  therefore  paid  little  at- 
tention to  anything  else.  Following  DeLacy's  party  were 
others,  all  in  search  of  the  precious  metal.  The  first  expedi- 
tion entitled  to  the  name  of  explorers  were  three  gentlemen, 
David  E.  Folsom,  C.  W.  Cook  and  William  Peterson.  They 
had  expected  an  escort  of  United  States  troops,  but  being 
disappointed,  they  resolved  to  go  forward  alone.  They 
started  from  Diamond  City,  on  the  Missouri,  September  6, 
1869.  The  party  was  well  armed  and  equipped  and  success- 
fully penetrated  the  park,  saw  many  of  the  wonders,  and 
after  thirty-six  days  returned  with  a  story  which  led  to  the 
organization  of  the  Yellowstone  expedition  of  1870.  This 
party  was  headed  by  the  Surveyor-General  of  Montana, 
Henry  D.  Washburn,  accompanied  by  the  Hon.  N.  P.  Lang- 
ford,  Cornelius  Hedges,  Walter  Trumbull,  Samuel  T.  Hau- 
ser,  T.  C.  Everts,  Benj.  Stickney,  Warren  C.  Gillette  and 
Jacob  Smith,  all  leading  citizens  of  Montana.  As  this  ex- 
pedition takes  me  beyond  the  date  covered  by  the  first  vol- 
ume of  this  history,  the  report  will  be  given  in  Volume  II 
of  this  series.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  United  States 
had  not  up  to  the  last  date  spoken  of  succeeded  in  sending 
an  expedition  into  the  park.  The  gentlemen  above  referred 
to,  like  those  who  went  to  the  park  in  1869,  were  unable  to 
procure  an  escort  of  United  States  troops,  and  yet  sixty- 
three  years  had  elapsed  since  John  Colter  had  penetrated 
and  made  known  the  Wonderland  of  America. 


296  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

HISTORY     OF    FORT     LARAMIE. 

A  Noted  Post  in  the  Wilderness — Story  of  Jacques  Laramie — Nam- 
ing Laramie  River — Robert  Campbell  Builds  Fort  William 
— Name  Changed  to  Fort  Laramie — Purchased  by  Milton  Sub- 
lette, Jim  Bridger  and  Others — Sold  to  American  Fur  Com- 
pany— Becomes  the  Capital  of  the  Wilderness — Palmy  Days  at 
the  Old  Trading  Post — Important  Station  on  the  Overland 
Trail — Closing  Days  of  the  Fur  Traders  at  Fort  Laramie. 

Fort  Laramie,  the  first  garrisoned  post  located  in  Wyo- 
ming,  has  clustered  about  it  more  historic  incidents  than 
any  other  military  spot  in  the  west.  From  first  to  last,  the 
reminiscences  of  this  fortified  camp  are  full  of  tragedy,  and 
these  stories,  if  all  told,  would  fill  numerous  volumes.  For 
the  purposes  of  this  history,  however,  I  must  confine  myself 
to  the  events  which  bear  upon  the  conditions  which  sur- 
rounded the  trader,  trapper,  hunter,  emigrant,  and  the  way- 
farer who  sought  shelter  behind  the  ramparts  of  this  gar- 
rison or  needed  succor  from  the  strong  arms  of  those  who 
were  placed  at  this  fort  to  aid  and  assist  all  who  passed 
through  the  country.  To  commence  at  the  beginning,  it  is 
necessary  to  tell  the  story  of  Jacques  Laramie,  a  French 
Canadian  who  came  into  the  country  in  the  employ  of  the 
Northwest  Company,  when  that  organization  first  extended 
its  operations  to  the  waters  of  the  upper  Missouri.  A  short 
time  after  Laramie  came  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the 
Northwest  Company  and  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  com- 
menced a  ruinous  rivalry  in  trade  which  greatly  reduced  the 
profits  of  each.  The  trappers  of  the  rival  organizations 
tried  to  outwit,  out-trap  and  outdo  each  other  in  general. 
Frequently  they  became  embroiled  and  blood  was  shed. 
Jacques  Laramie  was  a  lover  of  peace  and  held  himself 
aloof  from  quarreling  with  his  fellow-men,  and  above  all, 
he  was  opposed  to  the  shedding  of  blood.    He  went  on  the 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  297 

theory  that  the  world  was  wide  and  there  was  room  enough 
for  all;  he  therefore  gathered  about  him  a  number  of  relia- 
ble trappers,  who  shared  his  views,  and  led  them  to  a  new 
and  undisputed  territory.  This  country  was  the  headwaters 
and  tributaries  of  the  North  Platte.  Here  they  trapped  un- 
disturbed. Laramie  and  his  trappers  soon  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  many  Indian  tribes  who  either  inhabited  or 
made  annual  visits  to  the  North  Platte.  These  natives  from 
the  very  first  held  Laramie  in  high  esteem.  He  was  of  a 
resolute  character,  manly  in  conduct  and  kindly  in  disposi- 
tion. His  associates  regarded  him  as  absolutely  honest, 
and  his  courage  was  never  questioned.  His  conduct  toward 
the  Indians  was  such  as  to  command  their  respect  and  good 
will.  Every  act  of  his  life  commended  him  as  worthy  of  the 
friendship  of  both  the  white  men  and  the  natives.  The 
free  trappers  regarded  him  as  a  partisan  worthy  of  their 
confidence.  Annually  they  brought  their  peltries  to  the 
rendezvous  at  the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  River,  and  these 
were  disposed  of  in  St.  Louis  and  goods  were  brought  back 
to  be  distributed  among  the  trappers  at  a  price  amounting 
to  cost  and  carriage.  This  method  of  association  was  not  a 
new  idea;  it  had  been  practiced  by  trappers  on  the  Missouri, 
Mississippi  and  other  rivers  for  many  years,  and  it  was  con- 
sidered more  profitable  than  dealing  with  the  large  traders 
in  the  country.  There  was  one  thing  absolutely  necessary 
in  such  co-operation;  that  was,  an  honest  factor,  and  in  this 
instance,  as  I  have  said,  Jacques  Laramie  possessed  their 
entire  confidence.  The  furs  were  packed  on  horses  or  mules 
to  a  navigable  point  on  the  Platte  River  some  distance  be- 
low Grand  Island,  where  bull  boats  were  constructed  and 
the  peltries  consigned  to  these,  and  without  difiiculty  they 
floated  down  the  Platte  and  the  Missouri  and  finally  reached 
St.  Louis.  The  trappers  in  a  body  convoyed  the  furs  to  the 
embarking  point  and  brought  back  the  horses  and  mules, 
which  were  again  sent  to  meet  the  goods  at  a  specified  time, 
and  thus  it  was  that  the  free  trappers  under  the  partisan 
Laramie  received  their  annual  supplies.  The  business  grew 
rapidly,  from  the  fact  that  many  Indians  sold  their  peltries 


298  History  of  Wyoming. 

to  the  association,  receiving  in  pay  the  merchandise  brought 
in  annually;  but  all  this  was  soon  to  terminate  in  a  disaster 
which  caused  great  loss  to  the  trappers  and  their  Indian 
allies.  About  the  year  1820,  Laramie  announced  his  inten- 
tion to  trap  on  the  Laramie  Kiver  and  its  tributaries,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  it  was  well  known  among  trap- 
pers as  a  dangerous  country,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  the 
battle  ground  of  the  northern  and  southern  tribes.  Here 
they  had  met  in  fierce  combat  for  many  years.  The  southern 
tribes  in  their  passage  north  often  encountered  armed  bands 
of  northern  tribes,  who  disputed  their  right  to  occupy  the 
hunting  grounds  north  of  the  Laramie  Plains.  Laramie's 
friends  urged  upon  him  the  danger  of  penetrating  the  dis- 
puted country,  but  he  calmed  their  fears  by  saying  that  he 
would  go  alone  and  throw  himself  upon  the  protection  of 
the  Indians  who  were  known  to  be  friendly  to  him.  His 
companions  were  silenced  but  not  convinced,  and  they 
parted  with  him  with  many  misgivings  as  to  the  wisdom  of 
his  course,  but  they  knew  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to 
dissuade  him  from  his  purpose.  At  the  next  rendezvous, 
Laramie,  the  heretofore  central  figure  in  the  camp,  was 
absent.  The  free  trappers,  with  forebodings  of  evil,  organ- 
ized a  strong  party  and  went  up  the  Laramie  River  in  search 
of  a  cabin  which  he  had  informed  them  he  would  build.  In 
two  or  three  days  they  found  the  cabin  and  the  lifeless  re- 
mains of  their  beloved  partisan.  There  was  every  indication 
that  he  had  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  savages.  They 
had  rewarded  his  friendship  by  basely  murdering  him,  and 
thus  brought  on  the  war  of  extermination  which  was  after- 
wards waged  by  Laramie's  trappers  and  all  others  who  pur- 
sued trapping  in  Wyoming.  The  friends  of  Laramie  re- 
turned to  the  rendezvous  on  North  Platte,  but  they  were 
changed  men  and  resolved  never  more  to  trust  the  friend- 
ship of  a  race  of  murderers.  From  that  time  on  they  spoke 
of  the  river  on  the  banks  of  which  Laramie  had  been  mur- 
dered as  Laramie's  River,  and  later  trappers  in  the  country 
called  it  Laramie  River.  I  have  talked  with  some  old  trap- 
pers who  are  of  the  opinion  that  Laramie's  cabin  was  lo- 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  299 

cated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Laramie.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
this  is  the  origin  of  the  name  Laramie  River,  from  which 
comes  Laramie  Plains,  Laramie  Range,  Laramie  Peak,  Fort 
Laramie,  Laramie  County,  Laramie  City  and  Little  Laramie 
River, 

The  story  of  Jacques  Laramie  has  been  hard  to  trace. 
I  have  talked  of  this  renowned  trapper  with  many  of  the 
older  class  of  pioneers,  such  as  Baker,  Majors,  Wiggins, 
Perri,  Chapman,  Lowe,  Street  and  many  others.  All  knew 
something  about  him  from  tradition,  but  none  could  speak 
positively  as  to  the  time  when  Laramie  was  killed  or  as  to 
the  date  of  the  Laramie  trappers  occupying  the  North 
Platte  country.  The  murder  was  charged  at  the  time  to  the 
Arapahoes,  but  this  tribe  strenuously  denied  the  charge, 
and,  Indian  like,  claimed  that  other  Indians  had  committed 
the  murder,  and  ingeniously  argued  that  they  would  not 
have  killed  Laramie  because  he  had  given  them  in  exchange 
for  their  furs  more  and  better  goods  than  they  had  ever 
received  from  the  large  fur  companies.  The  fact  of  the 
murder  of  Laramie  is  given  by  many  writers.  Col.  A.  G. 
Brackett  says  that  Laramie  was  killed  on  the  headwaters 
of  the  stream  which  bears  his  name.  Bancroft  says  that 
Laramie  was  a  French  trapper,  who  in  the  earliest  hunting 
times  was  killed  by  the  Arapahoes  on  this  stream,  and 
credits  the  statement  to  Schell.  Other  writers  give  the 
same  fact,  but  none  enter  into  particulars.  I  fix  the  date 
of  the  murder  as  about  1820,  but  it  might  have  been  three 
or  four  years  earlier. 

In  the  summer  of  1834  Robert  Campbell  accompanied 
Captain  William  Sublette  on  his  return  trip  to  St.  Louis 
as  far  as  Laramie's  Fork,  where  it  was  agreed  should  be 
erected  a  trading  post.  Campbell  brought  with  him  from 
the  west  a  number  of  French  Canadians,  also  a  few  half- 
breeds  from  St.  Louis,  and  with  the  aid  of  these  he  con- 
structed the  post.  The  first  structure  was  erected  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Laramie,  a  half  mile  above  its  junction  with 
the  North  Platte.  Timber  was  cut  in  the  hills  and  the  fort 
erected  was  of  logs,  one  end  of  which  were  set  in  the  ground. 


300  History  of  Wyoming. 

projecting  out  about  eighteen  feet,  forming  what  is  known 
as  a  picket  fort.  The  fort  was  130  feet  square  and  around 
the  inside  were  small  buildings  for  the  use  of  the  trader  and 
his  trappers.  During  the  period  of  its  construction  Mr. 
Campbell  was  in  his  natural  element,  as  he  was  by  nature 
calculated  to  push  without  ceasing  every  undertaking  in 
which  he  engaged.  The  force  was  completely  organized,  a 
detachment  was  sent  to  the  woods  for  the  timber,  and  a 
band  of  hunters  supplied  buffalo,  elk,  deer  and  mountain 
sheep.  By  the  time  winter  approached  there  was  an  abun- 
dant larder  and  plenty  of  fuel  had  been  gathered  to  keep 
up  cheerful  fires  during  the  long  winter  months.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell had  with  him  a  stock  of  merchandise  which  he  traded 
for  furs  with  independent  trappers  who  came  along,  and 
also  with  the  Indians.  There  was  at  the  fort  that  winter 
a  motley  collection  of  American  trappers,  hunters,  French 
Canadians,  half-breeds,  Mexicans  and  Indians.  Robert 
Campbell  presided  over  the  multifarious  assembly  with  that 
true  dignity  which  was  a  part  of  his  nature.  He  was  at  this 
time  still  a  young  man,  scarcely  in  his  prime.  He  is  spoken 
of  as  being  tall,  with  a  fair  complexion  and  rather  light 
colored  hair.  His  figure  was  erect  and  his  bearing  that  of  a 
man  of  much  reserved  power.  He  settled  disputes  and  bick- 
erings with  a  word,  and  so  that  neither  side  could  feel  ag- 
grieved. This  was  the  first  commander  as  well  as  the  build- 
er of  the  great  military  post  which  during  the  next  fifty 
years  was  to  be  first  an  important  trading  center  and  then 
the  theater  of  military  events  in  the  far  west.  When  the 
establishment  had  been  fully  completed,  Campbell  sought 
for  a  proper  name  for  this,  the  first  permanent  settlement 
in  what  was  thirty-four  years  later  the  Territory  of  Wyo- 
ming, and  he  finally  determined  to  call  it  Fort  William, 
in  honor  of  his  friend.  Captain  William  Sublette,  and  thus 
it  was  known  among  trappers.  How  long  Robert  Campbell 
remained  in  command  of  Fort  William,  tradition  does  not 
say.  We  next  find  him  at  the  head  of  a  large  mercantile  es- 
tablishment at  St.  Louis,  and  his  place  became  the  popular 
outfitting  resort  of  fur  traders  and  trappers.    He  took  in 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  301 

exchange  for  his  goods  the  peltries  of  his  customers.  He 
necessarily  employed  large  capital  in  the  business,  as  he 
supplied  goods  all  over  the  Rocky  Mountain  country.  An- 
nually Fort  William  drew  its  supplies  from  Campbell's  es- 
tablishment. Somehow  the  name  Fort  John  became  at- 
tached to  this  post.  I  find  quite  a  number  of  writers  who 
mention  it  by  this  name. 

John  Hunton,  who  has  lived  for  many  years  at  Fort 
Laramie,  told  me  the  past  winter  the  origin  of  the  name 
Fort  John.  He  said  when  he  went  to  Fort  Laramie  in  1867, 
there  was  an  old  half-breed  Pawnee  trapper  around  the 
place,  Antoine  Ladeau,  who  spoke  English  well.  This  trap- 
per knew  the  history  of  the  country  and  often  told  stories 
relating  to  Robert  Campbell,  William  Sublette,  Jim  Bridg- 
er.  General  Harney,  General  Connor  and  others.  He  was  a 
perfect  encyclopedia  of  all  events  that  had  happened  on  the 
Platte  during  the  early  days.  He  claimed  that  Fort  Lara- 
mie never  bore  the  name  of  Fort  John,  but  that  there  was 
a  Fort  John  at  the  mouth  of  Laramie  River  occupied  at  one 
time  by  Adams  and  Sybylle.  This  I  think  offers  a  clear  ex- 
planation of  the  name  Fort  John.  It  is  simply  a  mistake  of 
trappers,  who  mixed  the  names  of  the  two  forts.  Ladeau 
was  born  on  the  Platte  River  and  came  to  the  fort  at  the 
forks  of  the  river  when  he  was  a  boy.  His  father  was  a 
Frenchman  and  his  mother  a  Pawnee.  When  but  a  small 
boy  he  was  captured  by  the  Sioux  and  brought  up  by  them. 
He  was  an  interpreter  for  General  Connor  in  his  Powder 
River  campaign,  and  died  in  1881. 

The  name  Fort  William  was  changed  in  a  rather  singu- 
lar manner.  The  subject  was  often  discussed  at  Campbell's 
store  in  St.  Louis,  and  this  discussion  was  brought  on  by 
an  eccentric  shipping  clerk  whose  duty  it  was  to  do  the 
marking  on  all  bales  and  boxes  of  goods  which  were  sent 
out.  His  instructions  were  that  all  goods  intended  for  this 
post  were  to  be  marked  "Fort  William,  on  Laramie  River," 
as  there  were  other  Fort  Williams  in  the  Rocky  Mountain 
country,  but  this  artist  of  the  marking-pot  was  troubled 
with  forgetfulness,  and  he  never  could  remember  whether 


302  History  of  Wyoming. 

it  was  Fort  William  or  Fort  John,  and  finally  one  day  there 
was  no  one  at  hand  to  give  him  the  desired  information,  so 
he  marked  the  long  row  of  bales  and  boxes  "Fort  Laramie," 
instead  of  "Fort  William,  on  Laramie  River."  Some  one 
called  Campbell's  attention  to  the  mistake,  and  that  prac- 
tical business  man  saw  that  his  clerk  had  for  once  blun- 
dered correctly  and  given  the  fort  on  Laramie  River  its 
proper  name,  and  ever  afterward  it  was  known  as  Fort 
Laramie. 

At  the  opening  of  the  season  of  1835,  Robert  Campbell 
and  William  Sublette  sold  Fort  Laramie  to  a  syndicate  of 
trappers  at  the  head  of  which  was  Milton  Sublette  and  Jim 
Bridger,  Milton  Sublette,  like  his  brother  William,  was  a 
bold,  determined  partisan,  and  Bridger  was  worthy  to  be 
classed  as  one  of  the  bravest  of  leaders  in  the  fur  trapping 
business.  These  two  men  had  for  associates,  Fitzpatrick^ 
who  had  already  won  his  spurs  as  a  great  leader,  Basil 
Lajeunesse,  who  afterwards  became  one  of  Fremont's  men, 
was  a  member  of  the  syndicate;  also  W.  M.  Anderson  and 
old  Jack  Robinson.  The  new  company  was  composed  of 
young  men,  but  all  possessed  experience  in  trapping  and 
trading  and  Indian  fighting.  They  promptly  sent  out  their 
trappers  into  all  parts  of  Wyoming,  and  the  outlook  for  the 
new  organization  was  certainly  very  bright.  There  was 
only  one  thing  in  the  way,  and  that  was  Fontenelle  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  who  had  gathered  about  him  a 
large  number  of  the  best  trappers  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  many  of  these  were  associates  and  friends  of  Jim  Bridg- 
er, Milton  Sublette  and  other  partners  in  the  association. 
Fontenelle  made  a  proposition  to  Milton  Sublette  that  he 
and  the  members  of  his  company  become  partners  in  the 
American  Fur  Company  and  thus  put  a  stop  to  an  unprofita- 
ble competition.  This  deal  was  accomplished  early  in  the 
summer  of  the  same  year,  and  thus  Fort  Laramie  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  American  Fur  Company  and  remained 
their  property  for  fourteen  years.  In  1836  the  logs  of  the 
fort  were  discovered  to  be  badly  rotted,  and  so  the  company 
rebuilt  it  at  an  expense  of  f  10,000.    It  chanced  that  quite  a 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  303 

number  of  Mexicans  wintered  at  Laramie  in  1835-6,  and 
they  made  the  proposition  to  build  the  new  fort  after  the 
plan  of  such  buildings  in  their  own  country,  and  thus  it 
was  that  adobes  were  used.  When  completed,  it  was  a 
substantial  structure  and  served  every  purpose  for  which  it 
was  intended.  Fremont,  who  visited  the  fort  in  1842,  gives 
a  full  description  of  it  as  it  appeared  at  that  time.  This 
will  be  found  in  the  first  chapter  of  Fremont's  explorations 
in  Wyoming  in  this  volume. 

Fort  Laramie  from  this  on  controlled  the  fur  business 
of  Wyoming.  Everything  being  in  readiness  to  conduct 
business  on  a  large  scale,  two  trappers,  Kiplin  and  Sybylle, 
were  sent  out  over  the  Black  Hills  to  the  north  to  invite 
the  Sioux  Indians  to  come  to  the  fort  and  trade,  and  to  live 
and  hunt  in  that  vicinity.  Much  to  everybody's  surprise, 
the  two  ambassadors  returned  bringing  with  them  over  one 
hundred  lodges  of  Ogalalla  Sioux  under  their  chief,  Bull- 
Bear.  The  Sioux  nation  at  this  time  numbered  many  thou- 
sands, consisting  of  numerous  bands,  each  bearing  a  prefix 
to  distinguish  them  from  the  others.  In  spite  of  the  best 
efforts  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  the  Sioux  succeeded 
in  driving  away  the  Cheyennes,  Pawnees  and  other  tribes 
who  had  heretofore  made  the  country  adjacent  to  the  North 
Platte  their  annual  hunting  grounds.  The  Sioux  at  this 
time  were  warlike  and  disposed  to  rule  the  whole  country. 
Buffalo,  deer,  elk  and  mountain  sheep  were  plentiful  in  the 
mountains  and  on  the  plains  around  the  fort,  and  conse- 
quently the  natives  had  no  difficulty  in  procuring  food. 
Those  were  happy  days  for  the  Indians.  They  sold  their  furs 
and  robes  at  the  fort  and  received  in  exchange  bright  blan- 
kets, beads,  knives,  powder  and  lead,  and  occasionally  pro- 
cured a  gun.  During  the  next  two  or  three  years  Fort 
Laramie  became  the  resort  of  thousands  of  Indians;  also  of 
free  trappers,  who  camped  under  its  walls  in  large  numbers. 
They  found  fault  with  the  prices  charged  for  goods,  but  as 
they  sold  their  beaver  skins  at  a  fair  price  they  put  up  with 
over-charge.  The  Sinclair  brothers,  who  were  popular  lead- 
ers of  free  trapper  bands,  were  among  the  number  who  sold 


304  History  of  Wyoming. 

their  furs  at  the  fort.  Dick  Wootton,  Jim  Beckwourth, 
Bissonette,  Kit  Carson,  August  Claymore,  "Old  Charlefou," 
L.  B.  Maxwell,  "Black  Harris,"  F.  X.  Matthieu  and  many 
others  were  occasional  visitors  at  the  fort.  Those  were 
days  of  enterprise,  adventure  and  hair-breadth  escapes. 
The  stories  that  these  men  recounted  as  they  met  at  the 
rendezvous  or  winter  encampment  were  never  excelled  by 
like  adventures  in  any  land.  The  language  spoken  at  Fort 
Laramie  at  that  time  was  French  for  the  most  part,  bad 
English,  and  a  dozen  Indian  dialects.  Every  white  trapper 
had  his  squaw  and  the  traders  and  clerks  in  this  respect 
were  equally  well  provided.  At  the  time  of  Fremont's  visit, 
July  15, 1842,  the  fort  was  in  charge  of  Mr.  Boudeau ;  Galpin 
and  Kellogg  were  his  clerks.  Frances  Parkman,  the  author 
of  "The  California  and  Oregon  Trail,"  who  visited  Fort  Lar- 
amie in  1846,  has  left  a  very  carefully  written  description 
of  the  noted  trading  post  and  its  surroundings.  Mr.  Park- 
man  was  accompanied  by  Quincy  A.  Shaw  of  Boston,  who 
afterwards  became  a  prominent  merchant  in  his  native  city 
and  who  still  resides  there,  being  at  this  date  a  very  aged 
man.  Henry  Chatillon,  a  well  known  hunter  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  was  the  guide  of  this  party.  Describing  the 
scenes  in  and  around  Fort  Laramie,  Mr.  Parkman  says  in 
his  chatty  style: 

"We  tried  to  ford  Laramie  Creek  at  a  point  nearly  op- 
posite the  fort,  but  the  stream,  swollen  with  the  rains  in 
the  mountains,  was  too  rapid.  We  passed  up  along  its  bank 
to  find  a  better  crossing  place.  Men  gathered  on  the  wall 
to  look  at  us.  'There's  Bordeaux!'  called  Henry,  his  face 
brightening  as  he  recognized  his  acquaintance;  'him  there 
with  the  spy-glass;  and  there's  old  Vaskiss  and  Tucker  and 
May;  and,  by  George,  there's  Cimoneau!'  This  Cimoneau 
was  Henry's  fast  friend  and  the  only  man  in  the  country 
who  could  rival  him  in  hunting.  We  soon  found  a  ford. 
Henry  led  the  way,  the  pony  approaching  the  bank  with  a 
countenance  of  cool  indifference,  bracing  his  feet  and  slid- 
ing into  the  stream  with  the  most  unmoved  composure.  We 
followed;  the  water  boiled  against  our  saddles,  but  our 
horses  bore  us  easily  through.  The  unfortunate  little  mules 
came  near  going  down  with  the  current,  cart  and  all,  and 


{Page  303.) 


FORT  LARAMIE   IN   1871. 

[From  an  old photograpli.) 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  305 

we  watched  them  with  some  solicitude  scrambling  over  the 
loose  round  stones  at  the  bottom  and  bracing  stoutly  against 
the  stream.  All  landed  safely  at  last;  we  crossed  a  little 
plain,  descended  a  hollow,  and  riding  up  a  steep  bank  found 
ourselves  before  the  gateway  of  Fort  Laramie,  under  the 
impending  blockhouse  erected  above  it  to  defend  the  en- 
trance. 

"We  were  met  at  the  gate,  but  by  no  means  cordially 
welcomed.  Indeed,  we  seemed  objects  of  distrust  and  sus- 
picion until  Henry  Chatillon  explained  that  we  were  not 
traders,  and  we  in  confirmation  handed  to  the  bourgeois 
a  letter  of  introduction  from  his  principals.  He  took  it, 
turned  it  upside  down  and  tried  hard  to  read  it;  but  his  lit- 
erary attainments  not  being  adequate  to  the  task,  he  ap- 
plied for  relief  to  the  clerk,  a  sleek,  smiling  Frenchman 
named  Montalon.  The  letter  read,  Bordeaux  (the  bourgeois) 
seemed  gradually  to  awaken  to  a  sense  of  what  was  ex- 
pected of  him.  Though  not  deficient  in  hospitable  inten- 
tions, he  was  wholly  unaccustomed  to  act  as  master  of  cere- 
monies. Discarding  all  formalities  of  reception,  he  did  not 
honor  us  with  a  single  word,  but  walked  swiftly  across  the 
area,  while  we  followed  in  some  admiration,  to  a  railing  and 
a  flight  of  steps  opposite  the  entrace.  He  signed  to  us  that 
we  had  better  fasten  our  horses  to  the  railing;  then  he 
walked  up  the  steps,  tramped  along  a  rude  balcony,  and 
kicking  open  a  door  displayed  a  large  room,  rather  more 
elaborately  finished  than  a  barn.  For  furniture  it  had  a 
rough  bedstead,  but  no  bed;  two  chairs,  a  chest  of  drawers, 
a  tin  pail  to  hold  water,  and  a  board  to  cut  tobacco  upon. 
A  brass  crucifix  hung  on  the  wall  and  close  at  hand  a  recent 
scalp,  with  hair  full  a  yard  long,  was  suspended  from  a  nail. 
This  apartment,  the  best  in  Fort  Laramie,  was  usually  occu- 
pied by  the  legitimate  bourgeois,  Papin,  in  whose  absence 
the  command  devolved  upon  Bordeaux.  The  latter,  stout, 
bluff  little  fellow,  much  inflated  by  a  sense  of  his  new  au- 
thority, began  to  roar  for  buffalo  robes.  These  being 
brought  and  spread  upon  the  floor  formed  our  beds;  much 
better  ones  than  we  had  of  late  been  accustomed  to.  Our 
arrangements  made,  we  stepped  out  to  the  balcony  to  take 
a  more  leisurely  survey  of  the  long-looked-for  haven  at 
which  we  had  arrived  at  last.  Beneath  us  was  the  square 
area  surrounded  by  little  rooms,  or  rather  cells,  which 
opened  upon  it.  These  were  devoted  to  various  purposes, 
but  chiefly  to  the  accommodation  of  the  men  employed  at 
the  fort,  or  of  the  equally  numerous  squaws  whom  they 
-(20) 


3o6  History  of  Wyoming. 

were  allowed  to  maintain  in  it.  Opposite  to  us  rose  the 
blockhouse  above  the  gateway ;  it  was  adorned  with  a  figure 
which  even  now  haunts  my  memory;  a  horse  at  full  speed, 
daubed  upon  the  boards  with  red  paint,  and  exhibiting  a 
degree  of  skill  which  might  rival  that  displayed  by  the 
Indians  in  executing  similar  designs  upon  their  robes  and 
lodges.  A  busy  scene  was  enacting  in  the  area.  The  wag- 
ons of  Vaskiss  were  about  to  set  out  for  a  remote  post  in  the 
mountains,  and  the  Canadians  were  going  through  with 
their  preparations  with  all  possible  bustle,  while  here  and 
there  an  Indian  stood  looking  on  with  imperturbable- 
gravity. 

"Fort  Laramie  is  one  of  the  posts  established  by  the 
American  Fur  Company,  who  well-nigh  monopolize  the 
trade  of  this  whole  region.  Here  their  officials  rule  with 
absolute  sway;  the  arm  of  the  United  States  has  little 
force,  for  when  we  were  there,  the  extreme  outposts  of  her 
troops  were  about  seven  hundred  miles  to  the  eastward.'^ 

Messrs.  Parkman  and  Shaw  remained  in  Wyoming  sev- 
eral months,  making  Fort  Laramie  their  headquarters  off 
and  on  as  it  suited  their  convenience.  They  hunted  buffalo 
and  other  game  with  the  Indians  and  secured  all  they  were 
in  search  of,  health,  experience  and  adventure.  They  met 
many  traders  and  trappers,  and  among  others  three  grand- 
sons of  Daniel  Boone.  Among  the  items  of  interest  Park- 
man  mentions  in  connection  with  Fort  Laramie,  is  the  price 
of  horseshoeing,  which  he  says  was  |3  per  shoe.  At  the 
time  of  Parkman's  visit  to  Laramie,  the  road  was  lined  the 
entire  season  with  emigrants  bound  for  Oregon,  and  some 
few  for  California. 

There  were  two  notable  parties  that  passed  through 
Fort  Laramie  that  year.  One  was  headed  by  J.  Quinn 
Thorton,  a  lawyer  of  ability  from  Quincy,  Illinois,  bound 
for  Oregon.  The  other  party  was  in  charge  of  George  and 
Jacob  Donner,  enroute  for  California.  The  Donners  were 
from  Springfield,  Illinois.  The  two  trains  traveled  together 
up  the  North  Platte,  along  the  Sweetwater,  across  South 
Pass,  and  followed  the  now  fairly  worn  highway  over  Green 
Kiver,  just  beyond  which  those  going  to  California  passed  to 
the  left,  going  by  way  of  the  Fort  Bridger  route.    The  Ore- 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  307 

gon  party  suffered  great  hardship  and  did  not  reach  their 
destination  until  the  29th  of  November,  Mr.  Thornton  was 
the  following  year  appointed  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Oregon,  and  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  that  coun« 
try  had  much  to  do  with  public  affairs.  The  train  that  went 
to  California  had  the  saddest  experience  of  any  like  number 
of  individuals  who  have  ever  crossed  the  mountains.  Noth- 
ing unusual  occurred  until  they  reached  the  vicinity  of  Salt 
Lake.  They  entered  the  valley  and  passed  around  the 
southern  end  of  the  lake.  Here  one  of  their  number  died. 
In  crossing  the  Salt  Lake  Desert  thirty-six  of  their  cattle 
perished  and  four  of  their  wagons  had  to  be  abandoned. 
The  Indians  stole  and  killed  much  of  their  stock  that  sur- 
vived the  desert,  and  their  dangers  and  hardships  kept  in- 
creasing as  they  advanced.  And  as  their  trials  and  suf- 
ferings increased  they  grew  despondent  and  irritable  and 
desperate.  Quarrels  frequently  broke  out  and  one  man 
was  killed.  Although  the  killing  was  done  in  self-defense, 
frieds  of  the  dead  man  threatened  to  hang  the  slayer, 
and  he  had  to  leave  the  company  and  alone  and  on  foot 
make  his  way  through  the  deserts.  One  man  became  sick 
and  exhausted  and  the  owner  of  the  wagon  in  which  he 
rode  put  him  out  and  left  him  by  the  roadside  to  die,  where 
the  wolves  fought  over  and  devoured  his  body.  Another 
was  shot  accidentally  and  died  from  the  wound,  and  one 
man  and  his  wife  were  reduced  to  the  extremity  of  going  on 
foot  and  carrying  their  two  small  children. 

On  the  31st  of  October  they  reached  an  elevation  of 
near  10,000  feet  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  and  en- 
camped in  snow  almost  ten  feet  deep.  Here  their  cattle 
soon  all  perished,  and  their  bodies  became  lost  in  the  deep 
bed  of  snow.  For  their  protection  they  built  log  cabins 
and  the  heavy  snowfalls  soon  piled  up  around  these  habita- 
tions to  such  a  depth  that  they  had  to  enter  them  through 
the  roofs.  Their  provisions  ran  out  and  they  fed  upon  the 
dead  bodies  of  such  of  the  cattle  as  they  could  find  in  the 
snow,  and  later  on  upon  the  hides  of  those  they  had  killed. 
On  the  16th  of  December  a  party  of  ten  men  and  five  women 


3o8  History  of  Wyoming. 

set  out  upon  snow  shoes  to  make  their  way  into  the  Sacra- 
mento  valley  settlements  to  carry  the  news  that  a  party  of 
immigrants  was  starving  in  the  mountains.  Of  this  party 
only  two  men  and  the  five  women  reached  the  settlements. 
Three  of  the  men  lost  their  reason,  two  of  whom  died,  and 
the  third,  and  for  the  express  purpose  of  eating  their  flesh, 
shot  two  Indians  who  were  with  the  party.  The  survivors 
ate  their  moccasins,  crisped  their  boots  and  shoes  at  their 
camp  fires  and  ate  of  them,  and — horrible  to  relate — ate  also 
of  the  flesh  of  several  of  the  white  men  who  had  died.  At 
last  one  of  the  men,  while  traveling  ahead  and  alone,  came 
upon  some  Indians,  with  whose  assistance  the  party  reached 
a  settlement,  and  soon  the  news  was  sent  to  every  settle- 
ment in  the  valley.  Expeditions  of  relief  were  sent  out  im- 
mediately, but  when  the  camp  in  the  mountains  was  reached 
many  were  dead,  the  living  were  skeletons,  barely  able  to 
move,  and  some  were  supporting  life  by  feeding  upon  the 
dead.  Their  sufferings  had  made  them  childish,  had  driven 
them  into  insanity,  and  they  indulged  in  the  most  revolting 
forms  of  cannibalism  without  compunction.  Out  of  eighty 
persons  who  here  went  into  camp  on  the  31st  of  October, 
only  forty-four  reached  California  alive,  the  last  ones  not 
until  on  the  25th  of  April.  General  Kearney,  on  his  way 
east  in  the  following  June,  passed  the  scene  of  this  grew- 
some  mountain  camp  and  had  the  mummied  remains  of 
the  dead  buried  and  the  cabins  burned. 

Such  were  the  sufferings  of  some  of  those  who  passed 
through  Wyoming  in  early  years.  Hardships  were  the  lot 
of  all,  and  dangers  of  every  sort  beset  the  traveler  who 
started  out  on  that  long  journey  across  the  continent.  In 
those  days  the  trading  post  known  as  Fort  Laramie  was  the 
one  bright  spot  to  be  encountered  in  the  mountain  country. 
Notwithstanding  the  tales  of  starvation  which  were  con- 
stantly being  carried  back  to  the  states,  the  course  of  em- 
pire continued  to  take  its  way  westward.  Men,  women  and 
children  in  trains;  first  numbering  hundreds,  then  thou- 
sands, followed  the  dusty,  sandy  road  up  the  Platte  River 
and  passed  the  noted  trading  post  and  then  on  to  the  west, 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  309 

crossing  the  mountains  at  South  Pass  and  disappearing  on 
the  western  borders  of  Wyoming.  When  this  travel  began 
to  assume  large  proportions,  trading  posts  were  established 
at  convenient  points  along  the  route,  and  soon  the  old  order 
of  things  passed  away.  The  fur-bearing  animals  had  nearly 
all  been  destroyed,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  demand  in 
the  east  for  buffalo  robes,  the  Indian  would  have  lacked  the 
wherewith  to  purchase  his  beads,  vermilion  and  scarlet 
blankets.  The  trader  could  not  live  on  this  business  alone, 
and  fortunate  it  was  for  him  that  the  exodus  set  in  across 
the  mountains  and  furnished  him  with  customers  for  his 
merchandise. 

I  have  now  carried  the  history  of  Fort  Laramie  down 
to  the  year  1846,  and  this  noted  post  has  become  the  capital 
of  a  large  extent  of  territory.  People  going  to  Oregon,  Cali- 
fornia or  Utah  sojourned  for  a  day  or  a  week  at  this  famous 
trading  post.  The  events  which  happen  at  Fort  Laramie 
are  made  known  months  afterwards  on  the  Atlantic  and  the 
Pacific  coasts,  but  it  is  destined  to  a  great  change.  Fremont 
has  recommended  that  a  line  of  military  posts  be  erected 
through  the  wilderness  for  the  protection  of  emigrant 
travel,  and  Fort  Laramie  is  soon  to  be  selected  as  one  of  the 
government  posts. 


3IO  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

HISTORY    OF    FORT    LARAMIE— [Continued.] 

Purchase  of  Fort  Laramie  by  United  States  Government — The 
Price  Paid — The  First  Garrison — Reinforcements — Rebuilding 
OF  the  Fort — Scurvy  Attacks  the  Soldiers — Cholera  at  Scott's 
Bluffs — Captain  Ketchum  Relieves  Major  Sanderson  as  Com- 
mander— American  Fur  Company  Retires  Down  the  River  to 
Scott's  Bluffs — Emigrant  Trains — Indians  for  the  Most  Part 
Peaceable — Valuable  Services  of  American  Fur  Company  to 
Emigrants — Treaty  of   1851. 

In  accordance  with  Fremont's  recommendation  as  men- 
tioned in  the  last  chapter,  Congress  passed  an  act  on  May 
19, 1846,  making  an  appropriation  of  |3,000  for  each  post  es- 
tablished on  the  Oregon  road,  and  added  $2,000  to  pay  the 
Indians  for  the  land  on  which  each  of  these  posts  might  be 
located.  Before  anything  could  be  done  in  regard  to  estab- 
lishing such  posts,  the  Mexican  war  broke  out  and  the  army 
having  other  business  to  attend  to,  the  matter  remained  in 
abeyance  for  nearly  three  years.  The  first  oflScial  order 
from  the  War  Department  relating  to  Fort  Laramie  is  dated 
at  Washington,  March  30,  1819.  From  General  Order  No. 
19,  I  make  the  following  extract: 

"To  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  6th  section  of  the 
Act  of  May  19,  1846,  relative  to  establishing  military  posts 
on  the  Oregon  route,  and  to  afford  protection  to  the  nu- 
merous emigrants  to  that  country  and  California,  the  first 
station  has  already  been  established,  under  instructions 
of  the  Secretary  of  War  of  June  1, 1847,  on  the  Platte  River, 
near  Grand  Island,  and  is  known  as  Fort  Kearney.  The 
garrison  of  this  post  will  be  one  company  First  Dragoons 
and  two  companies  Sixth  Infantry,  to  be  designated  by  the 
commander  of  the  Department. 

"Under  the  same  instructions  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
it  now  becomes  necessary  to  establish  the  second  station  at 
or  near  Fort  Laramie,  a  trading  station  belonging  to  the 
American  Fur  Company.    The  garrison  of  this  post  will  be 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  311 

two  companies  of  the  Regiment  of  Mounted  Riflemen  to  be 
halted  on  the  route,  and  one  company  Sixth  Infantry. 

''In  the  further  fulfillment  of  the  requirements  of  the 
Act  of  May  19,  1846,  the  march  of  the  Rifle  Regiment  to 
Oregon  during  the  ensuing  season  is  deemed  the  proper  oc- 
casion for  establishing  a  third  post  on  the  route  to  and 
through  the  territory.  From  the  best  information  on  the 
subject,  it  is  supposed  the  most  eligible  point  for  this  third 
station  in  the  northwest  chain  of  posts  may  be  found  some- 
where on  Bear  River  or  its  tributaries,  near  enough  to  the 
settlements  in  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  to  obtain  with  facil- 
ity such  supplies  of  subsistence  and  forage  as  they  may  af- 
ford. The  trading  establishment  at  Fort  Hall,  on  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Columbia  River,  has  also  been  considered  an 
advantageous  position.  The  instructions  to  Brevet  Major 
General  Twiggs,  commanding  the  Sixth  Military  Depart- 
ment, charge  that  officer  with  giving  the  necessary  direc- 
tions upon  the  subject.    By  order: 

"R.  JONES,  Adjt.  Genl." 

In  connection  with  the  above,  I  find  the  following  from 
the  commander  of  the  Sixth  Military  Department  at  St. 
Louis,  dated  April  6,  1849: 

"Recent  instructions  from  the  War  Department  make 
it  necessary  that  supplies  for  one  year  shall  be  forwarded 
for  two  military  posts  to  be  established  on  the  route  to  Ore- 
gon— one  at  or  near  Fort  Laramie,  and  the  other  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Fort  Hall.  The  garrison  at  Fort  Laramie  will  con- 
sist of  two  companies  of  Mounted  Riflemen  and  one  com- 
pany of  Infantry.  It  will  be  supplied  with  provisions  for 
one  year,  and  the  full  ration  of  forage  (grain)  for  six  months. 
The  post  near  Fort  Hall  will  be  garrisoned  by  two  compa- 
nies of  Mounted  Riflemen  and  will,  also,  be  supplied  with 
provisions  for  one  year  and  forage  for  six  months.  Besides 
the  above,  each  post  will  be  furnished  with  such  quarter- 
master's stores  as  may  be  expected  to  be  necessary  in  the 
establishment  of  the  posts.  The  supplies  for  the  post  near 
Fort  Hall  must  be  ready  to  move  from  Fort  Leavenworth 
with  the  Rifle  Regiment  on  the  15th  of  May;  the  departure 
of  those  for  Fort  Laramie  may  be  delayed  until  the  1st  of 
June.  The  chiefs  of  the  quartermaster's  and  commissary's 
departments  at  these  headquarters  will  take  the  necessary 
steps  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  order.  It  is  to  be  understood 
that  these  supplies  are  exclusive  of  those  that  the  troops 
will  require  during  the  march.    They  may,  at  the  discre- 


312  History  of  Wyoming. 

tion  of  the  Chief  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  be 
forwarded  either  by  contract  or  by  government  transporta- 
tion; and  in  the  latter  case  the  teamsters  will  be  hired  by 
the  Department.  The  train  will  have  orders  to  return  with- 
out delay.  By  order  of  Brevet  Major  General  Twiggs. 
'^D.  C.  DUELL,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen." 

Following  this  was  a  second  order,  more  specific,  as  it 
not  only  named  the  companies  which  were  to  be  stationed  at 
the  different  posts,  but  also  named  the  commanders  and  the 
date  upon  which  the  troops  would  march.  This  supple- 
mental order  was  dated  April  9th.    It  is  herewith  appended. 

"In  connection  with  the  movement  of  the  Rifle  Regi- 
ment, the  further  duty  of  directing  the  establishment  of 
certain  military  posts  on  the  route  to  Oregon,  having,  by 
late  instructions  from  the  Adjutant  General's  office,  been 
devolved  on  the  Commanding  General  of  the  Department^ 
the  following  orders  are  published  in  relation  thereto.  In 
whatever  they  may  conflict  with  these,  all  previous  orders 
relative  to  the  march  of  the  Rifle  Regiment  are  annulled. 

"I.  There  will  be  a  post  established  at  or  near  Fort 
Laramie.  Its  garrison  will  consist  of  Companies  A  and  E, 
Mounted  Riflemen,  and  Company  G,  Sixth  Infantry,  under 
the  command  of  Major  W.  F.  Sanderson,  Mounted  Riflemen. 
"A  post  will,  also,  be  established  either  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Hall,  or  Bear  River,  to  be  garrisoned  by  Companies  G 
and  B,  Mounted  Riflemen,  under  the  command  of  the  senior 
Captain,  Brevet  Major  J.  S.  Simonson. 

"The  officers  named  above  to  command  these  posts, 
will  immediately  take  the  necessary  measures  for  moving  to 
and  establishing  their  commands  at  their  respective  sta- 
tions, in  conformity  with  these  orders  and  the  special  in- 
structions that  will  be  given  them. 

"II.  The  troops  to  garrison  the  post  near  Fort  Hall  will 
start  from  Fort  Leavenworth  on  the  1st  of  May  (Company 
B,  starting  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  will  be  joined  by  Com- 
pany G  at  Fort  Kearney)  taking  with  them  provisions  for 
three  months,  such  quartermaster's  stores(  tools  and  build- 
ing materials)  as  will  be  required  in  the  construction  of 
their  post,  and,  if  necessary,  forage  for  their  animals  until 
the  grass  will  sustain  them. 

"All  empty  wagons  will  be  left  at  Fort  Kearney  in  pass- 
ing, and  in  order  that  the  command  may  have  time  to  put 
itself  under  shelter  at  its  station  before  winter,  its  march 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  313 

will  be  hastened  as  much  as  may  be  consistent  with  the 
preservation  of  the  efficiency  of  the  troops  and  train.  It  will 
halt  at  Bear  River,  and  from  there  a  careful  reconnoissance 
will  be  made  of  the  locations  which  will  be  made  in  special 
instructions  to  the  commanding  officer,  and  from  which  a 
site  for  the  post  will  be  selected.  The  position  being  deter- 
mined upon,  the  command  will  be  immediately  and  actively 
employed  in  the  construction  of  the  post;  the  first  object  be- 
ing to  shelter  the  troops  against  the  coming  winter.  The 
permanent  arrangement  of  the  post,  whether  as  it  regards 
quarters  or  defensive  works,  must  depend  upon  the  instruc- 
tions of  the  proper  departments  to  the  officers  charged  with 
the  construction. 

*'The  year's  supply  of  provisions  and  forage  already 
ordered  for  this  post  will  leave  Fort  Leavenworth  with  the 
remaining  portion  of  the  Rifle  Regiment  between  the  1st 
and  20th  of  May;  and  within  those  limits.  Colonel  Loring 
may  use  his  discretion  as  to  the  time  and  order  of  starting 
his  train,  and  those  companies  of  his  regiment  not  detailed 
for  the  two  new  posts. 

"III.  Major  Sanderson  will  leave  Fort  Leavenworth 
by  the  10th  of  May  with  Company  E,  Mounted  Riflemen, 
(rationed  for  two  months)  and  such  quartermaster's  stores 
(tools,  etc.)  as  may  be  necessary  until  the  arrival  of  the  re- 
mainder of  his  command,  and  will  proceed  to  locate  a  post  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Laramie,  agreeably  to  the  special  in- 
structions that  will  be  given  him.  The  remainder  of  the 
garrison  for  this  post  (Companies  A,  Mounted  Riflemen, 
and  G,  Sixth  Infantry)  will  follow  on  the  1st  of  June,  with 
the  year's  supplies  already  ordered  for  their  post.  The 
trains  carrying  supplies  to  the  post  near  Fort  Hall,  and  that 
in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Laramie,  will  immediately  return  to 
Fort  Leavenworth. 

"IV.  Assistant  Surgeon  C.  H.  Smith  is  assigned  to 
duty  with  the  troops  for  Fort  Laramie,  and  Assistant  Sur- 
geon William  F.  Edgar  with  those  of  Fort  Hall.  They  will 
immediately  join  those  troops  and  report  to  their  command- 
ing officers,  respectively," 

The  above  are  of  value  in  the  history  of  Wyoming; 
therefore  I  have  given  them  in  full.  To  make  the  early  offi- 
cial record  of  Fort  Laramie  complete,  I  copy  the  first  report 
sent  to  the  Secretary  of  War  from  the  newly  established 
post.  It  is  dated  at  Fort  Laramie,  June  27, 1849,  and  signed 
W.  F.  Sanderson,  Major  commanding  post. 


314  History  of  Wyoming. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  I  arrived  at  this 
fort  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  instant,  nothing  having  oc- 
curred on  our  way  to  interrupt  our  march;  since  that  time 
I  have,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Woodbury  of  the  Engi- 
neers' Department,  made  a  thorough  reconnoissance  of  the 
country  in  the  neighborhood  of  this  place,  having  passed 
up  the  ridge  or  mountain  road  as  far  as  the  Boisie  (or  Big 
Timber  Creek)  and  returning  by  the  river  road. 

"This  was  found  to  be  the  most  eligible  for  a  military 
post,  and  was  purchased  at  my  request  on  the  26th  inst.,  by 
Lieutenant  Woodbury,  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand  dollars, 
from  Mr.  Bruce  Husband,  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, who  was  duly  authorized  to  dispose  of  the  same  for 
that  amount. 

"Pine  timber,  suitable  for  all  building  purposes,  is 
found  in  abundance  within  twelve  miles,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Platte. 

"The  best  of  limestone  is  also  found  at  about  the  same 
distance,  on  the  south  side  of  the  same  river. 

"The  Laramie  is  a  rapid  and  beautiful  stream,  and  will 
furnish  abundance  of  good  water  for  the  command. 

"Good,  dry  wood  is  found  in  abundance  and  easily  to 
be  obtained. 

"There  is  plenty  of  grass  for  making  hay  within  con- 
venient distance  of  the  post. 

"The  entire  command  (excepting  eight  men  for  stable 
police)  are  already  employed  in  cutting  and  hauling  timber, 
burning  lime  and  coal,  cutting  and  making  hay;  the  saw  mill 
will  soon  be  in  active  operation ;  everything  is  being  pushed 
forward  as  rapidly  as  circumstances  will  permit." 

In  connection  with  this  report  appears  another  com- 
munication from  Major  Sanderson,  dated  Fort  Laramie, 
December  1,  1849.  It  is  addressed  to  the  Adjutant  General 
of  the  army  and  reads  as  follows: 

"In  compliance  with  your  letter  of  instructions  of  the 
11th  of  September,  1849,  requiring  more  definite  informa- 
tion concerning  the  purchase  of  this  fort,  I  have  the  honor  to 
report  that  the  sum  of  four  thousand  dollars  was  paid  to 
the  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company  for  the  buildings 
and  improvements.  There  was  no  ground  included  in  this 
purchase.  The  four  thousand  dollars  was  paid  by  Lieuten- 
ant Woodbury  of  the  Engineers  Department,  Vho  is 
charged  with  the  construction  of  this  post,'  out  of  the 
amount  appropriated  by  the  Act  of  Congress,  August  14th, 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  315 

1848.  This  section  of  country  from  Horse  Slioe  Creek,  forty- 
three  miles  above  this  post,  to  the  Forks  of  the  Platte,  is 
claimed  by  the  Sioux,  the  Arapahoes  and  the  Cheyenne 
Indians.  Each  of  these  tribes  is  divided  into  several  bands 
and  are  scattered  over  the  country  from  the  Kansas  to  the 
Missouri.  The  chiefs  of  the  several  bands  are  to  assemble  at 
this  post  in  the  spring,  at  which  time  it  is  proposed  to  pur- 
chase the  ground." 

The  command  which  constituted  the  first  garrison  of 
Laramie  was  composed  of  fifty-eight  men  and  five  officers. 
The  names  of  the  latter  were  as  follows:  Major  W.  F.  San- 
derson, Mounted  Rifles,  commanding  post;  Major  S.  P. 
Moore,  Surgeon;  Captain  Thomas  Duncan,  Mounted  Rifles, 
commanding  company;  First  Lieutenant  Daniel  P.  Wood- 
bury, Engineer  Corps;  First  Lieutenant  Thomas  G.  Rhett, 
Mounted  Rifles,  Post  Adjutant  and  Quartermaster. 

Company  C  of  the  Regiment  of  Mounted  Rifles  joined 
the  post  on  the  26th  of  July,  1849,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Benjamin  S.  Roberts,  two  officers  and  sixty  men. 
Company  G  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  joined  the  post  on  the  12th 
of  August,  1849,  under  the  command  of  Second  Lieutenant 
Levi  C.  Bootes,  two  officers  and  fifty-three  men. 

In  the  summer  of  the  same  year,  the  cholera  was  on  the 
plains,  but  came  no  nearer  to  the  post  than  Scott's  Bluffs, 
fifty  miles  below,  on  the  Platte  River.  The  emigrants  were 
the  persons  chiefly  attacked  by  it,  and  more  particularly  the 
men.  Many  trains  passed  through  the  post  conducted  only 
by  women  and  children,  the  men  being  dead.  In  the  winter 
of  this  year,  the  scurvy  was  prevalent  among  the  troops  at 
the  post.  About  one-fifth  of  all  the  men  were  on  crutches. 
Wild  onions  and  water  cresses  were  issued  in  large  quanti- 
ties by  the  commanding  officer,  Indians  having  been  em- 
ployed to  gather  them;  and  in  the  following  spring  many  of 
the  diseased  soldiers  were  transferred  to  the  general  hospi- 
tal at  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 

During  the  fall  of  1849  a  bridge  was  constructed  across 
the  Laramie  River  not  far  from  the  fort.  The  enterprise 
was  by  private  parties,  a  sort  of  stock  company  which  col- 
lected toll  from  emigrants.    The  bridge  went  out  in  the  June 


3i6  History  of  Wyoming. 

rise  in  the  summer  of  1853.  A  ferry  boat  was  at  once  built 
to  take  the  place  of  the  bridge,  and  this  was  managed  by  a 
rope.  The  commander  at  the  fort  detailed  men  to  operate 
this  ferry,  who  collected  toll  from  all  except  those  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  government,  but  as  high  water  did  not  last  more 
than  sixty  or  ninety  days  each  season,  it  was  only  those  who 
passed  west  during  that  time  who  were  obliged  to  pay  toll. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  army  officers  of  that  early  date 
were  silent  partners  in  the  bridge  and  ferry,  but  if  so  there 
is  no  record  to  prove  it. 

Major  Sanderson  was  relieved  in  October,  1850,  by  Cap- 
tain William  S.  Ketchum,  Sixth  Infantry,  who  retained 
the  command  until  the  19th  of  July,  1852,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  First  Lieutenant  Richard  B.  Garnett,  Sixth  In- 
fantry; the  Mounted  Rifles  having  left  the  post  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1850,  the  duties  of  the  garrison  were  performed  by 
Company  G  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  for  the  following  year. 
Major  Sanderson  died  in  1853. 

Captain  Ketchum  is  spoken  of  by  old  timers  in  Wyo- 
ming as  a  man  who  did  not  regard  the  position  of  com- 
mander at  Fort  Laramie  as  at  all  exalted  or  desirable.  He 
longed  to  get  back  to  civilization.  Some  say  he  had  a  quar- 
relsome disposition  and  was  always  in  hot  water.  He  did 
his  duty,  but  was  not  disposed  to  make  things  pleasant  for 
his  associates  or  chance  visitors  at  the  fort.  He  was  happy 
when  relieved,  and  the  employes  at  the  post  were  not  sorry. 

The  Rev.  Richard  Vaux  was  chaplain  and  schoolmaster 
at  the  fort  from  1850  to  1861.  This  good  man  left  pleasant 
memories  at  Fort  Laramie  and  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
the  boys  and  girls  who  were  under  his  instruction.  He  was 
the  associate  of  the  officers,  the  friend  of  the  enlisted  men, 
and  exerted  an  influence  for  good  on  all  occasions.  He 
nursed  the  sick,  buried  the  dead  and  cheered  the  emigrants 
who  passed  through  the  country. 

At  the  time  of  the  purchase  of  Fort  Laramie  by  the 
government,  it  was  expected  that  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany would  retire  from  the  country;  in  fact,  Bruce  Husband 
gave  that  as  the  reason  of  the  company's  desire  to  sell.    It 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  317 

was  quite  a  surprise,  therefore,  when  this  representative 
of  the  fur  monopoly  announced  that  he  would  build  another 
trading  post  farther  down  the  river  and  that  already  the 
locality  was  selected.  This  was  at  Scott's  Bluffs.  The 
buildings  were  at  once  constructed,  and  the  stores,  peltries 
and  robes  of  the  company  at  Laramie  were  moved  to  that 
point.  Bruce  Husband  was  an  able  trader  and  had  man- 
aged the  affairs  of  his  company  in  a  manner  that  reflected 
credit  on  himself.  He  was  popular  with  the  Indian  tribes 
and  pursued  a  policy  with  them  that  insured  peace  and  pros- 
perity. It  turned  out  to  be  a  fortunate  thing  for  emigrants 
that  this  company  continued  to  do  business  in  the  country, 
as  its  representative  used  his  influence  to  prevent  the  Indi- 
ans from  stealing  the  stock  of  those  going  to  Utah,  Oregon 
and  California,  and  in  a  number  of  instances  it  came  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  commanders  at  Fort  Laramie  that  the 
American  Fur  Company  had  saved  many  white  men  from 
being  killed.  When  Bruce  Husband  retired  from  the  post  at 
Scott's  Bluffs,  Fontenelle  took  his  place,  and  his  adminis- 
tration proved  equally  as  satisfactory.  The  Indians  were 
well  acquainted  with  this  famous  partisan,  he  having  been 
a  familiar  figure  in  the  mountains  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  the  red  men  had  great  respect  for  him  because 
he  would  fight  if  driven, to  it,  and  this  gave  him  great  influ- 
ence over  the  tribes.  Fontenelle  enjoyed  the  confidence  of 
army  officers  and  was  well  thought  of  by  all  who  came  in 
contact  with  him.  It  seemed  proper  that  this  distinguished 
leader,  who  had  for  so  many  years  lived  a  life  of  adventure 
in  the  mountains,  should  be  chosen  by  his  company  to  fill 
a  position  in  which  he  was  no  longer  called  upon  to  suffer 
the  hardships  by  which  he  had  won  a  name  for  himself  and 
wealth  for  those  whom  he  served.  He  was  the  last  repre- 
sentative of  the  American  Fur  Company  in  this  section  of 
country. 

In  1851  the  government  entered  into  a  treaty  with  the 
Arapahoes,  Cheyennes  and  the  Ogalalla  Brule  Sioux,  which 
combined  tribes  numbered  about  6,000,  in  which  the  Indians 
were  to  have  annuities  to  the  value  of  |50,000,  to  be  paid  in 


3i8  History  of  Wyoming. 

goods.  They  were  also  to  have  a  reservation  between  the 
100th  and  107th  meridians  of  longitude  and  the  39th  and 
44th  parallels  of  latitude.  This  reservation  embraced  more 
than  one-third  of  what  is  now  Wyoming,  in  the  eastern  part, 
nearly  half  of  the  western  part  of  Nebraska,  a  portion  of 
South  Dakota,  a  considerable  part  of  western  Kansas  and 
nearly  one-half  of  Colorado.  The  Indians  on  their  part 
agreed,  in  consideration  of  the  annuities  and  the  setting 
apart  of  nearly  123,000  square  miles  of  territory  as  a  reser- 
vation, to  refrain  from  killing  emigrants  or  fighting  troops 
stationed  along  the  Overland  trail.  This  treaty  was  the 
commencement  of  a  series  of  misunderstandings  on  both 
sides.  For  a  time  the  annuities  were  paid,  but  when  the 
government  reduced  the  garrison  at  Fort  Laramie  the  Indi- 
ans became  insolent.  The  first  trouble  occurred  in  the 
spring  of  1852,  at  the  ferry  near  the  fort.  An  Indian  shot  at 
the  sergeant  in  charge  of  the  ferry-boat.  The  commander 
detailed  twenty-three  men  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Fleming  to  arrest  the  would-be  murderer.  The  soldiers 
went  to  the  village  and  demanded  the  guilty  Indian.  Un- 
fortunately the  chief  of  the  band  was  absent.  The  interpre- 
ter who  accompanied  the  soldiers  talked  to  the  warriors, 
and  when  he  informed  them  that  they  must  give  up  the  bad 
Indian  they  declared  that  rather  than  do  this  they  would 
fight.  Lieutenant  Fleming  with  five  men  now  advanced, 
when  the  savages  opened  fire.  The  soldiers  quickly  returned 
it  with  telling  effect,  killing  four  of  the  red  men.  Two  In- 
dians were  captured  and  taken  as  prisoners  to  the  fort, 
where  they  were  held  for  some  months.  None  of  the  soldiers 
were  injured.  This  punishment  had  the  desired  effect,  as 
it  made  the  Indians  respect  the  small  garrison  at  the  fort, 
and  from  this  on  peace  reigned  for  more  than  a  year  around 
Fort  Laramie,  but  not  so  beyond  its  influence.  Stock  was 
stolen  and  white  people  occasionally  scalped  along  the  emi- 
grant road.  White  hunters  were  also  killed  by  the  Indians 
when  opportunity  offered.  There  were  emissaries  who  went 
from  one  tribe  to  another  stirring  up  bad  feelings,  pointing 
out  to  the  more  peaceably  disposed  that  the  Indian  had  been 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  319 

wronged  by  the  government  and  that  there  was  a  disposi- 
tion on  the  part  of  white  men  to  take  their  hunting  grounds. 
They  also  complained  that  they  were  not  allowed  to  pass  in 
and  out  of  the  garrison  after  "retreat"  was  sounded.  In 
short,  nothing  pleased  these  lords  of  the  soil,  unless  it  was 
to  rob  trains  and  to  kill  and  scalp  white  men,  and  they  were 
constantly  trying  to  find  justification  for  these  acts.  The 
half-breeds  and  squaw  men*  were  constantly  telling  the 
Indians  that  the  government  would  treat  them  fairly  and 
even  generously,  but  the  white  traders  stole  all  the  presents 
sent  by  the  Great  Father  to  his  Indian  children,  and  thus 
the  bad  blood  increased. 


*Men  who  married  squaws  and  who  lived  with  the  tribes  were   called  squaw  men. 
Their  children  were  known  as  half-breeds. 


320  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HISTORY    OF    FORT    LARAMIE— [Continued.] 

Unpleasant  Side  of  the  Service  at  Fort  Laramie — Shut  Up  in  the 
Wilderness — Gloom  and  Despondency — Insolent  Savages — In- 
dians Severely  Punished — Lieutenant  Grattan  and  Thirty  Sol- 
diers Massacred — Sioux  Tribes  on  the  Warpath — Fort  Laramie 
Reinforced — Major  Hoffman  Takes  Command — The  Sioux  Make 
War  on  Emigrant  Trains — Sir  George  Gore's  Hunting  Expedi- 
tion— Bridger  Becomes  Guide — Terrible  Conditions  Along  the 
Overland  Trail — Government  Urged  to  Protect  Emigrants — 
War  Department  Aroused  at  Last. 

A  post  in  the  wilderness  was  hardly  a  place  suited  to 
the  tastes  of  either  officers  or  men  connected  with  the 
United  States  army  during  the  fifties.  The  stirring  events 
of  the  previous  decade,  which  included  the  Mexican  War 
period,  were  quite  in  contrast  with  the  service  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie. It  was  simply  the  process  of  adding  one  day  to  an- 
other and  doing  routine  duty.  At  the  best  it  was  banish- 
ment from  civilization,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  these  men 
complained  of  a  service  that  doomed  them  to  loneliness  and 
despair.  They  longed  for  a  more  active  life,  something  that 
would  keep  them  employed  in  mind  as  well  as  body.  The 
summer  came  only  to  remind  them  how  pleasant  would  be 
a  change  of  location,  and  the  winters  settled  down  upon 
them  with  the  awful  stillness  of  the  mountain  and  desert. 
To  these  men  the  service  they  were  doing  seemed  for  the 
most  part  useless,  and  like  all  human  beings,  they  despised 
a  useless  task.  We  are  told  that  drinking  and  gambling 
were  the  great  evils  that  prevailed  at  Fort  Laramie  at  that 
time,  and  it  seems  not  at  all  strange  that  this  kind  of  de- 
Xjravity  should  exist.  It  certainly  was  to  a  certain  extent 
excusable  in  such  a  place.  They  were  shut  up  in  this  wilder- 
ness  without  being  able  to  get  a  letter  or  a  newspaper  for  six 
or  seven  months,  and  no  shipwrecked  mariners  cast  on  a  des- 


{Page  SQ4-) 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  321 

olate  island  ever  looked  more  longingly  for  a  sail  than  these 
soldiers  for  the  white  canvas  tops  expected  in  early  spring. 

For  a  year  or  two,  no  events  of  any  importance  hap- 
pened at  Fort  Laramie.  During  the  summer  months  emi- 
grant trains  were  very  numerous,  but  they  passed  through 
without  having  any  great  diflSculty  with  Indians.  Occa- 
sionally escorts  were  furnished  to  outgoing  trains,  but  only 
when  a  commander  possessed  information  that  Indians  west 
were  troublesome.  Sometimes  small  trains  were  held  until 
others  came  up,  so  as  to  provide  protection  for  each  other. 
In  the  main,  the  Indians  were  fairly  peaceable  on  account  of 
the  presence  of  troops.  In  those  days  there  were  some  mot- 
ley collections  around  the  old  fort.  Numerous  hunting  par- 
ties composed  of  men  in  search  of  adventure  and  big  game 
passed  through.  In  the  spring  of  1852  a  surveying  expedi- 
tion for  Oregon  visited  the  post.  Among  the  members  of 
this  party  was  W.  N.  Byers,  who  later,  April  22,  1859,  found- 
ed the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  the  first  newspaper  issued  in 
Colorado.  Mr.  Byers  is  still  living  and  is  an  honored  citizen 
of  the  commonwealth  of  Colorado. 

That  year  an  expedition  composed  of  three  hundred  peo- 
ple arrived  at  Fort  Laramie  in  charge  of  Captain  Douglas  of 
Michigan.  They  remained  some  days  at  the  fort  and  then 
pushed  on  to  their  destination,  California.  Before  leaving 
Laramie,  thirty  of  the  members  decided  to  go  on  an  explor- 
ing and  prospecting  trip  to  the  north,  agreeing  to  join  the 
company  at  a  point  farther  west.  A  month  later  eight  of 
these  men  rejoined  the  party,  but  twenty-two  were  never 
heard  from,  though  diligent  inquiries  were  made  for  years. 
It  was  supposed  that  they  were  all  killed  by  Indians. 

During  the  winter  of  1853-4  the  usual  dull  routine  of 
garrison  duty  took  place  at  Fort  Laramie,  and  the  spring 
season  opened  with  promise  of  equally  uneventful  times. 
The  War  Department  having  need  elsewhere  of  the  services 
of  Commander  Garnett  of  Fort  Laramie,  that  officer  retired 
from  the  post  on  May  18,  which  left  Second  Lieutenant 
Hugh  B.  Fleming  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  in  command.  Com- 
pany G  of  Fleming's  regiment  w^as  at  the  post,  but  how 
-(21) 


322  History  of  Wyoming. 

many  men  and  oflflcers  is  not  clear.  The  command  suffered 
principally  with  having  nothing  to  do  except  consume  com- 
missary whisky.  It  was  truly  distressingly  peaceable 
around  the  fort  during  the  spring  and  early  summer,  and 
nothing  occurred  until  the  19th  of  August,  when  the  leader 
of  a  Mormon  train  which  was  camped  ten  miles  below  on  the 
Platte  reported  to  the  fort  early  in  the  morning  of  that  day 
that  a  large  number  of  Indians  were  camped  below  on  the 
river,  and  they  had  a  day  or  two  before  killed  a  cow  or  ox 
belonging  to  the  Mormons.  The  Indians  were  under  a  chief 
named  Mat-to-i-o-way,  who  had  himself  made  known  at  the 
fort  this  occurrence,  saying  that  an  unsuccessful  hunter  of 
his  band  returning  to  the  village  had  killed  the  animal  be- 
longing to  the  Mormons,  and  that  he  had  reprimanded  him 
for  the  act.  He  further  stated  that  he  had  permitted  his 
band  to  eat  the  animal,  inasmuch  as  it  had  been  killed.  The 
commander  at  Fort  Laramie,  making  a  mountain  out  of  a 
molehill,  sent  Lieutenant  Grattan  with  thirty  men  and  two 
howitzers  to  bring  in  the  guilty  Indian  and  also  such  others 
as  had  taken  the  carcass.  Eight  miles  below  the  fort  the 
Indians  were  met  by  this  detail,  and  Lieutenant  Grattan 
made  known  to  a  sub-chief  named  Bear  his  errand.  The 
chief  told  the  officers  that  he  did  not  regard  the  offense  as 
of  any  great  importance,  and  that  the  head  chief  of  the  band 
had  reported  the  affair  to  the  commanding  officer  at  the 
fort.  He  said  nearly  the  entire  village  had  eaten  of  the 
slaughtered  animal  and  were  therefore  all  included  under 
the  orders  of  the  officer.  He  refused  to  submit  his  people  to 
arrest.  When  told  that  the  soldiers  would  fire  upon  his 
tribe,  he  reiterated  his  explanation  and  said  he  could  do 
nothing  more.  The  lieutenant  now  advanced  with  his  men 
to  make  the  arrest,  but  the  whole  party  were  at  once  sur- 
rounded by  the  savages,  when  the  soldiers  were  ordered  to 
fire  upon  them,  killing  one  Indian  and  mortally  wounding 
the  chief.  The  lieutenant  now  ordered  that  the  howitzers 
be  discharged,  but  the  guns  not  being  well  sighted,  the 
grape  and  canister  went  over  the  heads  of  the  now  infuri- 
ated warriors,  who  quickly  closed  in  on  the  soldiers  and 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  323 

■with  tomahawks  and  war-clubs  killed  the  officer  and  all  of 
his  command  except  one,  who  though  badly  wounded  es- 
caped by  the  aid  of  a  friendly  Indian  to  the  fort.  This  af- 
fair resulted  in  the  almost  total  annihilation  of  the  garrison 
at  Fort  Laramie.  Lieutenant  Grattan  was  a  young  officer 
recently  from  West  Point,  and  this  was  his  first  and  last 
experience  as  an  Indian  fighter.  Commander  Fleming  has 
always  been  severely  condemned  for  this  affair.  It  was 
commonly  stated  at  the  time  that  there  had  been  a  too  free 
use  of  whisky  on  that  fatal  morning  before  the  detachment 
left  the  fort.  Fleming's  explanation  was  that  the  whole 
business  was  mismanaged  by  Lieutenant  Grattan,  but  in  the 
judgment  of  those  around  the  fort  at  the  time,  the  com- 
mander did  an  unwise  thing  when  he  placed  so  delicate  a 
mission  in  the  hands  of  an  inexperienced  young  officer. 

The  Grattan  affair  was  the  starting  point  of  a  bloody, 
long  and  costly  war  with  the  Sioux  tribes.  Commencing  in 
the  very  hour  of  their  victory  over  the  soldiers,  they  at- 
tacked the  trading  post  of  Chouteau  &  Company  and  also 
that  of  James  Bordeaux.  These  posts  were  both  robbed  of 
all  their  goods  and  the  people  connected  with  them  barely 
escaped  massacre.  Commander  Fleming  marshalled  the 
balance  of  his  garrison,  including  stable  men  and  employes, 
and  made  every  preparation  for  defense,  feeling  certain 
that  the  Indians  would  attack  the  post.  Fortunately,  the 
hostiles  went  to  the  hills  and  then  hurried  on  east  to  confer 
with  other  tribes  belonging  to  the  Sioux  nation,  and  soon 
several  thousand  were  on  the  war-path  with  the  avowed  de- 
termination that  they  would  kill  not  only  every  white  man 
in  the  country,  but  every  emigrant  passing  through  on  the 
Overland  trail.  A  detailed  account  of  the  disaster  was 
hurried  off  to  Fort  Kearney  and  reinforcements  asked  for 
from  that  garrison.  A  part  of  a  company  was  at  once  sent 
up  the  river  to  help  hold  the  unfortunate  post  which  came 
so  near  destruction. 

Two  days  after  the  Grattan  disaster  a  burial  party  was 
sent  from  Fort  Laramie  to  inter  the  remains  of  the  ill-fated 
lieutenant  and  his  men.    A  large  hole  was  dug  and  the  muti- 


324  History  of  Wyoming. 

lated  bodies  hastily  thrown  in,  covered  with  dirt,  and  on 
top  of  all  was  placed  a  pile  of  stones,  and  thus  reposed  the 
victims  of  the  first  military  tragedy  in  Wyoming.  This  was 
a  small  blunder  when  compared  with  others  which  followed 
in  later  years.  The  War  Department  seemed  awakened  out 
of  a  sound  sleep  by  this  horrible  affair;  but  little  came  of  it 
for  a  year  and  a  half  except  the  sending  of  Companies  B 
and  D  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  numbering  111  men,  under  the 
command  of  Major  and  Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  William 
Hoffman.  These  reinforcements  arrived  on  November  12, 
1854,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hoffman  assumed  command 
of  the  fort  on  that  date.  Hoffman  was  a  good  soldier,  experi- 
enced in  handling  troops,  and  afterwards  was  conspicuous 
in  the  military  affairs  of  the  west.  From  the  time  of  the 
Grattan  massacre  up  to  the  arrival  of  the  two  companies 
of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  the  inmates  of  Fort  Laramie  were 
kept  upon  a  nervous  strain,  and  the  little  garrison  lived 
from  day  to  day  expecting  the  return  of  the  Sioux  in  over- 
whelming force.  Every  man  in  the  garrison,  citizens  as  well 
as  soldiers,  did  duty.  Sentries  walked  their  beat,  and  every- 
thing was  kept  ready  so  as  to  prevent  a  surprise  or  to  repel 
an  attack,  and  thus  remained  the  military  situation  that 
year. 

In  June,  1854,  Fort  Laramie  was  enlivened  by  the  ar- 
rival of  Sir  George  Gore  with  a  hunting  outfit  which  sur- 
passed anything  that  had  ever  before  been  seen  in  the 
Eocky  Mountains.  This  gentleman  was  from  Sligo,  Ireland, 
and  belonged  to  the  Peerage,  and  with  a  rent  roll  which  ena- 
bled him  to  spend  $200,000  annually  for  his  personal  pleas- 
ures. He  came  to  Fort  Laramie  with  an  outfit  of  six  wag- 
ons, twenty-one  carts,  twelve  yoke  of  cattle,  one  hundred 
and  twelve  horses,  fourteen  dogs  and  forty  servants.  In  St. 
Louis  he  had  secured  the  services  of  Henry  Chatillon  and 
his  brother  as  guides.  Gore  created  a  sensation  at  Fort 
Laramie  and  made  it  his  base  of  supplies  for  some  months. 
Trappers  and  hunters  of  that  day  were  astonished  at  the 
improved  firearms  with  which  he  was  provided.  These 
embraced  everything  then  known  of  a  new  pattern  in  Eng- 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  325 

land  or  America.  His  first  expedition  was  through  the 
Black  Hills  south,  crossing  the  Laramie  Plains  into  North 
Park  and  penetrating  the  mountains  and  valleys  of  Colo- 
rado. At  a  point  described  as  seventy-five  miles  southwest 
of  Fort  Laramie,  one  of  his  men  washed  out  quite  a  quantity 
of  placer  gold,  and  not  knowing  for  certain  what  it  was  took 
it  to  Sir  George  Gore  and  asked  if  it  was  not  gold.  The  no- 
bleman examined  it  with  great  care  and  then  replied,  ''Yes, 
this  is  gold ;  but  under  no  circumstances  mention  the  finding 
of  it  to  anyone  else."  He  then  sent  for  his  guide  and  di- 
rected him  to  take  the  expedition  out  of  that  place,  saying 
that  he  did  not  care  in  what  direction,  as  long  as  they  got 
away,  and  made  the  further  explanation  that  one  of  his  men 
had  found  a  quantity  of  gold  and  that  he  had  forbidden  him 
to  speak  of  it  to  anyone.  He  said  if  his  people  knew  there 
was  gold  in  the  country  they  would  all  leave  him;  that  he 
was  not  there  to  get  gold,  as  he  had  plenty  of  it.  The  guide 
then  led  the  way  into  North  Park.  The  place  where  the 
gold  was  found  must  have  been  in  what  is  now  Albany 
County.  The  expedition  wintered  at  Fort  Laramie  and  Sir 
George  made  a  study  of  the  motley  collection  of  trappers, 
hunters  and  guides  who  gathered  around  the  fort  during 
that  time.  He  also  became  acquainted  with  a  number  of 
noted  Indian  chiefs,  who  told  him  of  their  hunting  grounds 
to  the  north  and  of  the  magnificent  game  in  that  region. 
Jim  Bridger  chanced  to  be  at  Fort  Laramie  that  winter  and 
Gore  made  his  acquaintance.  Both  men  were  a  revelation 
to  each  other.  The  like  of  Jim  Bridger  had  never  been  en- 
countered by  the  lordly  Englishman.  Here  was  a  man  of 
the  forest  who  had  no  reverence  for  royalty  and  could  not 
be  obsequious  if  he  tried.  His  answers  were  direct  and  to 
the  point  and  he  called  things  by  their  right  names  as  far  as 
his  limited  knowledge  of  the  English  language  would  per- 
mit. The  nobleman  admired  Bridger's  honesty  and  sim- 
plicity and  resolved  to  make  use  of  his  knowledge  of  the 
country  and  his  experience  as  a  hunter.  He  wanted  big 
game,  and  here  was  the  man  who  could  lead  him  to  the  best 
hunting  grounds.    Then  commenced  diplomacy  on  the  part 


326  History  of  Wyoming. 

of  Gore.  He  wanted  to  hire  Bridger  for  the  following  sum- 
mer and  winter  and  attempted  to  secure  his  services  at  a 
good  round  figure,  salary  to  commence  from  the  time  the 
expedition  should  leave  Fort  Laramie  in  the  spring.  Bridg- 
er cut  the  diplomacy  short  by  accepting  the  proposition, 
providing  he  was  placed  on  the  payroll  from  the  moment  of 
that  conversation,  explaining  that  he  had  a  number  of  op- 
portunities for  employment,  one  of  which  he  should  accept 
unless  his  services  were  engaged  by  the  English  lord.  He 
did  not  care  to  continue  negotiations  further,  and  the  result 
was  that  he  was  placed  on  the  payroll  at  once,  and  he  be- 
came the  guide  of  the  Gore  expedition  from  that  time  until 
it  left  the  country  in  1856.  In  the  spring,  hunting  was  re- 
sumed, the  route  being  up  the  North  Platte  through  what  is 
now  Natrona  County,  and  north  into  Johnson  County  to  the 
headwaters  of  Powder  River,  to  the  old  Portugese  fort. 
From  there  Gore  made  hunting  trips  in  various  directions, 
the  main  route  being  down  Powder  River.  Arriving  at  the 
mouth  of  that  stream,  he  turned  up  the  Yellowstone  to 
Tongue  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  made  a  winter 
camp,  building  a  fort  on  the  Tongue  eight  miles  above  its 
confluence  with  the  Yellowstone,  on  what  afterwards  be- 
came the  Fort  Keogh  military  reservation.  This  aristocrat 
did  not  have  happy  times  among  the  free  and  easy  Ameri- 
cans who  were  in  the  country  at  that  time  and  his  last  win- 
ter was  a  stormy  one  in  more  than  one  particular,  and  by 
the  time  spring  opened  he  was  ready  to  leave  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  return  to  civilization.  The  only  man  he 
met  in  this  country  whom  he  cared  for  as  a  companion  was 
Jim  Bridger.    All  others  were  distasteful  to  him. 

In  his  "Old  Santa  Fe  Trail,"  Colonel  Inman  describes 
the  companionship  of  the  tw^o  men — one,  a  rich,  educated, 
whole-souled  Irish  nobleman;  the  other,  a  man  who  from 
boyhood  had  lived  on  the  plains,  depending  on  his  tact  and 
rifle  for  food  and  life. 

Sir  George  would  lie  in  bed  until  ten  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  then  he  took  a  bath,  ate  his  breakfast,  and  set  out 
generally  alone  for  the  day's  hunt.    It  was  not  unusual  for 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  327 

him  to  remain  out  until  ten  at  night,  and  he  seldom  returned 
without  "meat."  His  dinner  was  then  served,  to  which 
he  extended  an  invitation  to  Bridger. 

After  the  meal  was  over,  Sir  George  was  in  the  habit  of 
reading  some  book,  and  drawing  out  from  Bridger  his  ideas 
about  the  author. 

The  Irishman  usually  read  from  Shakespeare,  which 
Bridger  "reckin'd  was  too  highfalutin"  for  him.  ''That  thar 
big  Dutchman,  Mr.  Full-stuff,"  he  commented,  "was  a  leetle 
too  fond  of  lager  beer." 

Sir  George  read  the  "Adventures  of  Baron  Munchau- 
sen" to  Bridger,  who  remarked  that  "he  be  dog-goned  ef  he 
swallowed  everything  that  thar  baron  said."  He  thought 
he  was  "a  liar,"  yet  acknowledged  that  some  of  his  own 
adventures  among  the  Blackfeet  would  be  equally  wonder- 
ful "if  writ  down  in  a  book." 

Bridger  thought  Sir  George  a  successful  hunter;  an 
opinion  justified  by  the  records  of  the  two  years'  hunt;  forty 
grizzly  bears,  twenty-five  hundred  buffalo,  numerous  ante- 
lope and  other  small  game. 

When  Sir  George  Gore  came  to  Wyoming,  he  was  ac- 
companied by  a  distinguished  astronomer  and  scientist. 
Lord  Fitz  Williams  of  England,  who  visited  the  Rocky 
Mountain  country  for  the  purpose  of  making  some  impor- 
tant  astronomical  observations.  His  work  was  carefully 
done  during  the  summer,  from  chosen  points  in  the  Black 
Hills.  He  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Sir  George  and 
the  two  spent  the  few  months  together  pleasantly.  Their 
friendship  was  not  disturbed  by  the  fact  that  their  objects 
and  aims  in  life  were  so  different.  The  one  was  of  the  earth 
and  gained  amusement  in  the  pursuit  of  the  wild  beasts  of 
the  forest,  while  the  other  sought  pleasure  in  the  study  of 
the  heavenly  bodies.  Lord  Fitz  Williams  remained  in  Wyo- 
ming during  the  summer  and  in  the  fall  went  with  the  party 
to  Fort  Laramie,  and  from  that  point  back  to  the  states,  and 
finally  to  England. 

The  year  1855  was  rather  uneventful  at  Fort  Laramie. 
The  garrison  suffered  greatly  for  the  want  of  vegetables. 


328  History  of  Wyoming. 

Arrangements  had  been  made  as  early  as  1851  to  cultivate  a 
garden.  It  was  planted  and  cared  for  until  the  dry  weather 
came  on,  which  produced  a  total  failure  of  crop.  This  gar- 
dening experiment  was  undertaken  regularly  each  year, 
but  the  result  was  only  a  partial  success.  In  1855  irrigation 
to  a  limited  extent  was  introduced  by  Mexicans  who  were 
in  the  habit  of  hanging  around  the  fort.  This  success  in 
growing  vegetables  reduced  the  number  of  cases  of  scurvy. 
During  this  year,  the  guarding  of  government  trains  and 
the  regular  monthly  mail  was  about  the  only  act  of  service 
performed  by  the  troops  at  the  fort.  A  number  of  mail  car- 
riers had  been  killed  between  Fort  Kearney  ;ind  Fort  Lara- 
mie during  the  summer,  and  the  road  between  the  posts  be- 
came dangerous  for  small  parties  to  travel.  The  Sioux  had 
things  pretty  much  their  own  way  along  the  Platte  River 
that  season  and  were  making  good  their  declaration  of  the 
year  before  that  they  would  kill  every  white  man  who  came 
into  the  country.  Emigrants  on  the  North  Platte  were 
robbed  regularly  both  east  and  west  of  the  fort.  The  con- 
ditions were  simply  disgraceful  to  the  government.  Before 
the  troops  came  there  were  murders  and  robberies  every 
few  days,  but  since  the  troops  had  come  into  the  country 
things  were  worse.  For  every  Indian  killed  by  the  troops, 
a  dozen  white  men  would  be  killed  by  the  Indians.  Officers 
at  Fort  Laramie  that  season  complained  bitterly  of  the  dis- 
comforts. They  did  not  like  to  be  cooped  up  in  the  fort,  and 
to  go  out  on  expeditions  along  the  North  Platte  and  up  to 
Independence  Rock  was  a  disagreeable  duty  to  perform, 
and  great  danger  attended  this  sort  of  service.  Finally  it 
was  recommended  that  a  post  be  established  at  the  crossing 
on  the  Platte  about  two  miles  above  where  Caspar  now 
stands,  but  for  a  time  nothing  came  of  the  recommenda- 
tion. The  year  closed  at  Fort  Laramie  in  a  manner  that 
was  very  discouraging  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  at  that 
post,  and  there  were  loud  complaints  sent  to  Washington 
regarding  the  defenseless  condition  of  the  country.  The 
consolidated  Sioux  tribes  were  well  satisfied  with  their  sea- 
son's work.    They  had  robbed  emigrant  trains  and  secured 


History  of  Fort  Laramie.  329 

a  large  number  of  the  white  men's  scalps.  The  War  De- 
partment at  Washington  was  severely  criticised  by  the 
newspapers  at  the  time  for  bringing  on  a  war  with  the  Sioux 
tribes,  which  was  resulting  in  the  death  of  many  emigrants 
along  the  Overland  trail.  It  was  urged  that  the  government 
was  directly  responsible  for  the  deaths  caused  by  Indians, 
and  the  pillage  that  was  going  on,  of  the  emigrant  trains. 
Under  public  pressure  the  War  Department  sent  a  force 
west  in  the  spring  of  1856,  and  some  few  troops  were  sent 
to  Fort  Laramie,  but  the  force  at  that  place  was  practically 
helpless,  as  it  consisted  entirely  of  infantry.  These  were 
thrown  out  at  two  or  three  points  on  the  trail,  yet  little  good 
was  accomplished.  In  the  early  summer  of  that  year  the 
Sioux  sent  a  force  into  the  Black  Hills  and  succeeded  in 
capturing  all  the  mules  and  horses  at  the  fort  belonging  to 
the  quartermaster's  department.  A  force  was  promptly 
sent  out  to  recapture  the  stock,  but  the  Indians  only  laughed 
at  these  foot  soldiers  and  not  one  of  the  stolen  animals  was 
recovered.  The  murdering  of  emigrants  and  the  robbing  of 
trains  continued  during  the  summer.  The  government  at 
last  became  aroused  and  resolved  to  punish  the  combined 
Sioux  tribes,  and  Fort  Laramie  is  destined  to  become  soon 
a  military  depot  of  importance  and  the  center  of  warlike 
operations  of  great  magnitude;  but  from  this  on  the  history 
of  Fort  Laramie  will  be  included  in  the  history  of  the  Indian 
wars  of  Wyoming,  which  come  in  their  proper  place  and 
under  their  appropriate  headings. 


330  History  of  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE     OREGON     EMIGRATION. 

Dr.  Elijah  White's  Train  of  1842 — Trials  and  Tribulations  by  the 
Way — Fitzpatrick  the  Guide — Emigrants  of  1844 — Extravagant 
Prices  at  Fort  Laramie  That  Year — 1475  People  Go  to  Oregon 
in  1844 — Senator  Benton's  Prophecy — The  Business  of  the  Trail 
in  1845 — The  Rush  in  1846 — Indians  Say  White  Men  Are  as 
Numerous  as  the  Leaves  of  the  Forest — Scenes  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie— Increasing  Emigration  of  1847-8 — The  "Days  of  Forty- 
nine." 

Dr.  Elijah  White,  who  went  to  Oregon  by  sea  in  1837, 
as  a  missionary  doctor,  returned  east  in  the  summer  of  1840, 
having  had  a  misunderstanding  with  Rev.  Jason  Lee,  who 
was  at  the  head  of  the  Methodist  missionary  work  in  Ore- 
gon. On  White's  return,  he  was  appointed  Indian  agent  for 
Oregon  and  in  1842  we  find  him  at  the  head  of  a  colony, 
which  is  to  proceed  overland  to  Oregon.  There  were  112 
persons  in  the  company,  fifty-two  being  over  18  years  of  age. 
The  start  was  made  from  Independence,  Missouri,  on  May 
16.  Before  reaching  the  Wyoming  country.  Dr.  White  had 
made  himself  unpopular  and  the  colonists  deposed  him  and 
elected  in  his  place  Lansford  W.  Hastings.  On  the  23rd  of 
June  the  company  reached  Fort  Laramie,  where  they  re- 
mained a  week,  repairing  and  refitting.  At  this  point  they 
were  joined  by  F.  X.  Matthieu  and  half  a  dozen  Canadians. 
They  were  informed  by  Mr.  Bissonette,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  fort,  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  take 
their  oxen  and  wagons  through  to  Oregon,  so  they  sold  part 
of  them  to  him.  The  price  received  was  to  be  what  they 
paid  in  the  east,  and  they  were  to  take  in  exchange  coffee 
and  sugar  at  a  dollar  a  pound.  It  had  been  arranged  that 
this  company  should  be  escorted  through  Wyoming  by  Fre- 
mont, but  the  explorer  did  not  reach  Fort  Laramie  until 
the  15th  of  July  and  the  emigrants  resolved  not  to  wait. 


The  Orcfjon  Emigration.  331 

A  guide  named  Coats  had  brought  the  party  to  Fort  Lara- 
mie, which  ended  his  contract.  They  started  on  without  a 
guide,  but  fortunately  met  Jim  Bridger  and  Thomas  Fitz- 
patrick,  and  the  latter  was  induced  by  Indian  Agent  White 
to  go  with  them  to  Fort  Hall.  It  was  very  fortunate  that 
this  experienced  mountain  man  consented  to  go,  for  when 
they  arrived  at  Independence  Eock  they  had  trouble  with 
the  Sioux,  which  tribe  disputed  their  passage.  While  a  halt 
was  made,  many  of  the  emigrants  cut  their  names  upon  the 
great  rock.  Hastings  and  Colonel  Lovejoy,  who  had  fallen 
behind  the  caravan,  were  attacked  by  the  Indians  and  bare- 
ly escaped.  The  savages  followed  them  into  camp  and  Fitz- 
patrick  had  his  hands  full  for  several  hours,  negotiating 
with  the  Sioux  warriors  for  the  peaceable  passage  for  the 
emigrants  through  the  country.  This  difficulty  I  have  al- 
ready explained  in  my  account  of  Whitman's  journey 
through  Wyoming.  On  the  13th  of  July  the  train  reached 
the  Sweetwater  and  here  an  accident  occurred  which  cast 
gloom  over  the  party.  Adam  Horn,  one  of  the  emigrants, 
accidentally  shot  and  killed  a  young  man  named  Bailey. 
On  the  morning  of  the  14th  the  funeral  of  the  man  killed 
occurred,  after  which  the  train  moved  on.  In  spite  of  the 
presents  given  to  the  Sioux,  they  kept  up  hostilities  and 
greatly  annoyed  the  hunting  parties  sent  out,  frequently 
robbing  them  of  their  horses,  game  and  rifles.  This  com- 
pany was  unfortunate  in  many  particulars,  there  being  dis- 
sensions, bickerings  and  much  bad  feeling  shown  among 
the  emigrants.  They  broke  up  into  factions,  traveling  sep- 
arately as  soon  as  they  got  away  from  the  Sioux.  At  the 
crossing  of  Snake  River,  Adam  Horn  was  drowned.  These 
emigrants  reached  Oregon  after  having  experienced  severe 
trials.  I  find  many  conflicting  accounts  of  the  number  of 
the  company  under  the  charge  of  Dr.  White.  Captain  Sub- 
lette met  these  emigrants  at  Independence  and  gave  them 
advice  as  to  their  conduct  on  the  road.  He  told  Dr.  White 
that  he  was  liable  to  experience  difficulties  in  conducting  so 
large  a  train.  I  give  the  figures  on  what  I  consider  reliable 
authority.     The  Colonel  Lovejoy  mentioned  is  the  same 


332  History  of  Wyoming, 

man  who  made  the  journey  from  Oregon  with  Dr.  Whitman 
during  the  winter  of  1842-3. 

I  have  already  told  the  story  of  Marcus  Whitman  and 
his  passage  west  to  Oregon  with  his  great  train  containing 
two  hundred  wagons  and  a  thousand  people  in  the  summer 
of  1843.  In  that  same  year  Fremont  went  to  Oregon,  and 
his  report  confirmed  the  story  of  Dr.  Whitman  regarding 
the  value  of  the  country. 

The  Oregon  emigration  in  1844  was  quite  large.  They 
collected  at  different  points  on  the  Missouri  River  and 
amounted  in  all  to  1,4'75  persons.  Cornelius  Gilliam  led  one 
company  of  323  persons.  Captain  Nathaniel  Ford  led  an- 
other company.  These  two  organizations  joined  forces  on 
the  plains  and  employed  Moses  Harris,  the  veteran  trapper, 
as  guide.  They  were  two  months  getting  to  Fort'  Laramie 
from  the  Missouri  River,  owing  to  the  bad  weather,  which 
produced  rheumatism  and  dysentery.  By  the  time  they 
reached  Fort  Laramie  many  families  were  entirely  out  of 
flour  and  sugar.  They  procured  these  articles  from  the 
trader,  paying  |1.50  a  pint  for  sugar  and  |40  per  barrel  for 
flour.  They  reached  Fort  Hall  on  the  10th  of  September, 
suffering  greatly  after  that  point,  being  reduced  to  almost 
starvation,  and  fully  a  dozen  died  on  the  road.  In  the  party 
was  a  Mr.  Sager,  his  wife  and  seven  children.  Mr.  Sager 
died  at  Green  River  and  was  buried  on  the  east  bank  of  that 
stream.  Mrs.  Sager  died  two  weeks  later.  When  the  unfor- 
tunate children  arrived  in  Oregon  they  were  adopted  by 
the  large-hearted  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  wife. 

The  year  1845  was  a  memorable  one  in  Oregon  emigra- 
tion. No  less  than  3,000  people  passed  Fort  Laramie  on 
their  way  to  the  rich  valleys  beyond  the  mountains.  There 
were  two  points  on  the  Missouri  River  from  which  these 
emigrants  started  westward  across  the  plains.  St.  Joseph 
was  one  prominent  point  and  Independence  the  other.  Sen- 
ator Benton  was  to  some  extent  responsible  for  this  emigra- 
tion; there  being  a  quiet  determination  on  the  part  of  lead- 
ing American  statesmen  to  fill  up  Oregon  with  people  from 
the  United  States  and  thus  secure  the  territory  to  this  gov- 


The  Oregon  Emigration.  333 

ernment.  The  country  seemed  all  at  once  to  have  awakened 
to  the  importance  of  securing  the  territory.  In  a  speech 
made  in  St.  Louis  in  October,  1844,  Senator  Benton  uttered 
what  the  Oregon  Spectator  of  September  17,  1846,  called  a 
prophecy. 

*'I  say  the  man  is  alive,  and  is  listening  to  what  I  say 
(without  believing  it,  perhaps)  who  will  yet  see  the  Asiatic 
commerce  traversing  the  North  Pacific  Ocean — entering  the 
Oregon  River — climbing  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains — issuing  from  its  gorges — and  spreading  its  fer- 
tilizing streams  over  our  wide-extended  Union!  The  steam- 
boat and  the  steam-car  have  not  exhausted  all  their  won- 
ders. They  have  not  yet  even  found  their  amplest  and  most 
appropriate  theaters — the  tranquil  surface  of  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean  and  the  vast  inclined  plains  which  spread 
east  and  west  from  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The 
magic  boat  and  the  flying  car  are  not  yet  seen  upon  this 
ocean  and  this  plain,  but  they  will  be  seen  there;  and  St. 
Louis  is  yet  to  find  herself  as  near  to  Canton  as  she  now  is 
to  London,  with  a  better  and  safer  route,  by  land  and  sea, 
to  China  and  Japan,  than  she  now  has  to  France  and  Great 
Britain." 

The  North  Platte  and  Sweetwater  witnessed  almost 
continuous  trains  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of 
September.  Among  the  many  trains  to  pass  Fort  Laramie 
was  one  of  twenty-five  wagons,  under  the  leadership  of  Pres- 
ley Welch;  another  of  forty  wagons,  directed  by  Samuel 
Hancock;  another  of  fifty-two  wagons,  of  which  a  Mr.  Hack- 
leman  was  leader;  there  was  another  company  made  up  of 
sixty  wagons  and  three  hundred  persons  under  the  leader- 
ship of  W.  G.  T' Vault;  Samuel  Tetherow  commanded  an- 
other outfit  consisting  of  sixty  wagons  and  over  three  hun- 
dred people.  Many  of  these  emigrants  suffered  greatly,  and 
not  a  few  deaths  occurred  on  the  way.  I  cannot  pretend  to 
give  an  account  of  all  the  expeditions  that  passed  through 
that  year;  the  object  is  simply  to  show  that  the  Overland 
trail  had  become  a  popular  highway,  over  which  human 
hopes  and  human  ambitions  passed  to  make  new  homes  and 
build  a  new  state  on  the  Pacific  slope.  One  company  which 
passed  Fort  Laramie  that  year  had  lost  over  a  hundred 


334  History  of  Wyoming. 

oxen  (stolen  by  Indians)  and  they  had  been  obliged  to  yoke 
their  cows  to  the  wagons.  Added  to  the  Oregon  travel  were 
many  trains  going  to  California.  The  Indians,  who  had 
objected  to  the  passage  of  emigrants  in  1842,  had  continu- 
ously protested,  but  found  themselves  powerless  to  stem  the 
rising  tide  of  civilization  sweeping  westward  year  after 
year.  The  Sioux,  the  worst  barbarians  of  the  mountains, 
had  secured  the  North  Platte  country  by  conquest,  driving 
out  the  Crows,  who  had  for  many  generations  occupied  the 
hunting  grounds  to  the  north  and  west.  They  had  attempt- 
ed to  make  the  law  of  might,  right,  but  the  emigrants  had 
little  respect  for  these  freebooters,  who  possessed  only  bru- 
tal instincts,  savage  cunning,  and  pursued  the  methods  of 
the  highwayman.  They  killed,  robbed  or  tortured,  as  best 
suited  their  mood;  gathering  in  bands  along  the  route,  mak- 
ing insolent  and  extortionate  demands  on  all  travelers.  Ev- 
ery band  had  to  be  provided  with  presents,  the  demand  be- 
ing for  whisky,  tobacco,  lead,  powder,  guns,  beads,  blankets 
or  any  other  articles  which  they  could  see.  They  lorded 
it  over  the  country  they  had  stolen  from  the  Crows,  denying 
the  right  of  emigrants  to  kill  game,  and  demanding  fees 
of  the  white  men  amounting  to  confiscation  of  their  goods. 
It  is  not  in  the  nature  of  the  average  emigrant  to  submit 
tamely  to  unjust  demands,  and  it  was  little  wonder  that  the 
savages  finally  encountered  a  class  of  men  who  refused  to 
be  robbed  by  these  highwaymen.  The  impending  conflict 
resulted  in  the  location  of  fortified  posts  along  the  Platte, 
North  Platte  and  points  farther  west.  The  Indian  is  about 
to  enter  into  a  contest,  which,  though  it  be  long,  will  result 
in  his  destruction.  Things  are  to  be  no  longer  as  they  were. 
Men  going  with  their  families  to  Utah,  Oregon  and  Cali- 
fornia demanded  free  passage  through  the  mountains,  and 
when  this  could  not  be  peaceably  secured,  they  met  force 
by  force.  From  time  to  time  emigrants  were  attacked  by 
the  savages,  but  the  superior  arms  of  the  white  man,  and 
above  all  his  unconquerable  determination,  swept  the  red 
man  from  his  path.     The  government  hastened  to  afford 


The  Oregon  Emigration.  335 

protection  to  a  class  of  men  who  were  going  out  to  found 
new  commonwealths  on  the  Pacific  slope. 

In  the  year  1846  many  trains  passed  over  the  trail.  The 
trappers  and  traders  were  astonished  at  the  exodus  from 
the  east  and  the  Indians  became  convinced  that  the  white 
men  were  as  numerous  as  the  leaves  of  the  forest. 

The  people  going  out  felt  little  interest  in  the  discus- 
sion that  had  been  going  on  in  Congress  for  nearly  twenty 
years  as  to  who  owned  Oregon.  They  knew  that  it  was  held 
by  joint  occupation  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  and 
England,  and  they  understood  Dr.  Whitman's  theory  of 
settling  the  question  by  having  Americans  occupy  it,  and 
fully  subscribing  to  this  view,  they  were  going  out  to  make 
homes  and  establish  civil  institutions  in  far-off  Oregon. 
The  aristocratic  Francis  Parkman  amuses  himself  in  his 
"Oregon  Trail"  at  the  expense  of  these  emigrants  whom  he 
met  on  the  road  in  1846,  but  it  can  be  said  that  some  remark- 
ably able  men  went  over  the  trail  that  year — embryo  states- 
men who  were  heard  of  afterwards  in  the  organization  of  a 
government  for  the  new  territory.  All  were  brave,  or  they 
would  not  have  undertaken  the  long  journey  across  the 
plains  and  mountains  and  encountered  the  dangers  which 
were  well  known  to  them  before  starting  on  their  pilgrim- 
age. On  the  17th  of  July,  1846,  while  the  emigration  of  that 
year  was  at  its  height,  the  treaty  in  regard  to  Oregon  having 
previously  been  ratified  by  both  governments,  was  ex- 
changed in  London  between  the  representatives  of  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States,  and  thus  ended  the  discus- 
sion of  the  Oregon  question,  which  had  been  before  the  peo- 
ple fifty-four  years,  two  months  and  six  days.  That  treaty 
comes  in  to  the  history  of  Wyoming,  as  a  small  part  of  Ore- 
gon has  since  become  a  part  of  this  state.  The  eastern  line 
of  Oregon  extended  to  the  crest  of  the  Rocky  Mountains; 
hence  all  that  portion  of  our  state  lying  west  of  the  moun- 
tains bordering  on  Idaho  was  included  in  the  treaty  of  1846. 

The  promulgation  of  this  treaty  between  Great  Britain 
and  the  United  States  served  to  bring  Oregon  again  to  the 
front,  and  the  newspapers  of  the  day  were  filled  with  letters 


336  History  of  Wyoming. 

written  by  men  and  women  who  had  made  their  homes  in 
the  new  land  of  promise  beyond  the  mountains,  and  this  re- 
sulted in  increased  emigration,  which  in  1847  became  a 
grand  rush.  As  an  illustration  of  the  number  of  emigrants 
that  season,  I  will  mention  that  Hon.  H.  B.  Kelly,  one  of 
the  oldest  settlers  in  Wyoming,  went  to  California  that  year 
and  reaching  Independence  Rock  on  July  3,  his  party  re- 
mained over  to  celebrate  the  4th  of  July.  They  were  joined 
by  Oregon  emigrants  to  the  number  of  a  thousand,  and  the 
day  was  celebrated  in  a  manner  worthy  of  American  citi- 
zens. A  vast  amount  of  powder  was  exploded  and  the  wil- 
derness echoed  the  shouts  of  these  loyal  citizens  of  the  re- 
public. 

Fremont,  in  his  explorations  of  Oregon  in  1843,  foresaw 
that  there  would  be  a  large  emigration  into  the  country 
and  recommended  that  the  government  establish  a  line  of 
military  posts  across  the  country  occupied  by  the  wild 
tribes,  but  the  people  bound  for  Oregon  could  not  and 
would  not  wait  for  government  protection.  They  went  west 
by  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  Rivers,  the  two  columns  con- 
verging at  the  already  famous  trading  post  known  as  Fort 
Laramie,  at  which  they  concentrated  and  passed  west  on 
what  had  then  become  known  as  the  Oregon  Trail.  It  was 
the  same  trail  which  Whitman  had  marked  out  with  his 
two  hundred  wagons. 

The  decline  of  the  fur  trade  in  Wyoming  had  left  many 
trappers  and  traders  in  the  mountains  ready  to  take  up  a 
new  occupation.  The  majority  of  these  located  along  the 
emigrant  trail.  Some  became  guides  to  trains  going  across 
the  country,  others  furnished  supplies  of  various  kinds  to 
the  pilgrims,  including  horses  and  cattle,  which  they  traded 
to  the  emigrants  for  their  broken-down  stock.  This  latter 
traffic  was  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent.  Horses  and 
oxen  became  foot-sore  and  consequently  useless  to  the  trav- 
elers. The  traders  took  these  animals  and  for  a  considera- 
tion furnished  fresh  ones,  and  thus  those  enroute  to  Oregon 
were  enabled  to  continue  their  journey.  The  broken-down 
cattle  and  horses  were  turned  out  to  feed  and  rest  and  were 


[.  'ITiW  I 


The  Oregon  Emigration.  33f 

soon  in  prime  condition  to  exchange  for  other  broken-down 
stock.  This  business  was  a  source  of  great  profit  to  many 
traders  located  in  Wyoming. 

That  year  the  last  cavalcade  passed  over  the  trail  in 
September  and  was  hurrying  forward  to  find  a  location  in 
Oregon  before  the  winter  set  in,  when  an  event  occurred 
which  horrified  the  civilized  world.  It  was  known  as  the 
Whitman  massacre.  This  occurred  at  Waiilatpui,  Oregon, 
where  Dr.  Whitman  had  built  a  school  for  the  Indian  chil- 
dren. The  conditions  which  led  up  to  this  wholesale  butch- 
ery have  never  been  satisfactorily  settled.  The  announce- 
ment of  the  treaty  of  1846  was  a  death-blow  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company.  That  monopoly,  which  was  chartered  in 
1670,  had  occupied  the  Columbia  and  its  tributaries  since 
its  consolidation  with  the  Northwest  Company  in  1821,  and 
the  last-named  company  succeeded  the  Astorians  in  1813. 
It  had  protected  the  fur  interest  by  keeping  white  people 
out,  and  had  raised  half-breeds  to  catch  the  fur-bearing 
animals.  The  insolence  of  this  monopoly  was  manifested 
when  John  Jacob  Astor  founded  Astoria.  He  was  driven 
out  of  the  country  by  the  connivance  of  British  fur  traders, 
and  all  other  American  traders  following  him  met  the  same 
fate,  including  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth.  When  American  set- 
tlers went  to  Oregon,  the  servants  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany pointed  out  to  the  Indians  that  these  people  had  come 
to  take  away  their  lands,  destroy  the  beaver,  and  eventually 
to  drive  them  from  their  homes.  The  consequences  were 
that  the  natives  looked  with  suspicion  on  Americans  and 
were  ready  and  ripe  at  all  times  to  do  them  injury.  Added 
to  the  prejudice  for  which  the  English  were  directly  respon- 
sible, was  the  superstitious  belief  of  the  savages  that  the 
new  people  who  came  into  the  country  were  the  cause  of 
diseases  in  epidemic  form  which  afflicted  the  tribes.  On  the 
29th  of  November,  1847,  the  massacre  occurred.  Fifteen 
were  killed,  including  Dr.  Whitman  and  wife.  Fifty  white 
persons  were  captured,  many  of  them  women  who  suffered 
worse  than  death.  Let  the  English  residents  of  Oregon  at 
that  time  explain  the  massacre  as  they  will,  the  facts  are 

-(22) 


338  History  of  Wyoming. 

that  the  treaty  of  1846,  which  conceded  Oregon  to  the  United 
States,  had  much  to  do  with  the  butchery  of  Dr.  Whitman 
and  his  associates.  The  news  of  the  treaty  had  a  depressing 
effect  on  all  Englishmen  in  that  country,  and  while  it  is 
barely  possible  that  they  did  not  directly  plan  the  murders, 
they  stood  aloof  and  allowed  the  devilish  work  to  go  on. 
The  news  of  the  murder  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  associates 
aroused  deep  feeling  throughout  the  states,  and  during  the 
spring  of  1848,  Oregon  was  the  cry.  That  year  large  num- 
bers of  emigrants  passed  through  Wyoming  with  the 
avowed  purpose  of  taking  possession  of  the  country  in  spite 
of  Indians,  Englishmen  or  any  other  opposing  force,  and 
from  early  in  the  spring  until  late  in  the  summer  the  road 
to  Oregon  was  lined  with  trains  which  were  so  numerous 
as  scarcely  to  be  out  of  sight  of  each  other.  Those  were 
great  days  for  the  traders  along  the  Overland  trail.  They 
made  their  own  prices  on  everything  they  had  to  sell,  and 
the  emigrants  were  glad  to  buy  regardless  of  extortion. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  the  Oregon  and  California 
roads  were  one  and  the  same  across  Wyoming.  Occasion- 
ally a  party  would  cross  the  Laramie  Plains  and  go  west 
through  Bridger  Pass  and  join  the  regular  road  on  Green 
River,  but  this  route  was  not  yet  a  popular  one.  The  main 
emigrant  trail  for  both  California  and  Oregon  was  up  the 
Platte,  through  the  South  Pass,  and  thence  on  to  Fort  Hall. 
The  Oregon  road  turned  to  the  right,  and  the  California 
route  bore  off  to  the  left.  Fremont  made  a  map  of  the  coun- 
try which  was  published  by  the  government  in  1845,  and 
this  was  much  sought  after  by  both  those  going  to  Oregon 
and  to  California.  This  route  through  the  South  Pass  over 
to  Fort  Hall  was  first  located  by  Captain  Bonneville  in 
1832.  It  is  true  that  other  trappers  and  traders  made  the 
trip  before  Captain  Bonneville,  but  over  a  trail  of  great 
length,  winding  in  and  out.  Bonneville  laid  out  a  direct 
road,  which  was  followed  by  other  trappers  and  traders, 
and  finally  by  Rev.  Samuel  Parker  in  1835  and  by  Dr.  \Miit- 
man,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  and  their  wives  in  1836,  and  it  be- 
came the  road  to  Oregon. 


The,  Oregon  Emigration.  339 

In  1848  emigration  to  California  was  greatly  increased 
over  the  preceding  year,  and  Oregon  drew  its  full  share 
from  the  great  trail.  The  trading  post  at  Fort  Laramie 
that  season  was  a  picturesque  western  settlement,  emi- 
grants coming  and  going  almost  every  hour  in  the  day  and 
every  day  in  the  week.  Wagons  from  each  of  the  arriving 
trains  had  to  be  mended,  horses  and  ox  teams  which  had 
given  out  were  being  traded  off  for  better  animals,  and 
stores  replenished.  The  emigrants  were  not  backward  in 
denouncing  the  traders  for  overcharging  them  for  almost 
every  article  they  were  compelled  to  purchase.  The  picture 
presented  was  rather  a  wild  one,  for  on  every  side  were  blan- 
keted Indians  who  watched  the  going  and  coming  of  the 
palefaces  with  as  much  interest  as  the  noble  red  man  is 
capable  of  showing.  The  brisk  days  of  1848,  which  excited 
so  much  attention  in  Wyoming,  were  nothing  as  compared 
with  the  year  that  is  to  follow.  The  slow-going  ox  teams 
of  the  past  are  largely  to  give  way  to  powerful  horse  and 
mule  teams,  and  the  slow,  easy-going  emigrant  on  his  way 
west  in  search  of  land  must  stand  aside  and  give  the  gold 
prospector  a  chance. 

Now  we  come  to  the  most  important  year  in  the  history 
of  the  Overland  trail,  which  was  1849.  The  discovery  of 
gold  in  California  created  throughout  the  east  intense  ex- 
citement, and  as  a  result  every  road  leading  to  the  golden 
state  was  filled  with  hurrying  crowds.  Many  took  ships  and 
went  around  Cape  Horn.  Others  went  by  the  way  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  still  others  came  by  the  way  of  the 
Overland  trail  and  consequently  passed  through  Wyoming. 
This  class  of  emigrants  were  better  outfitted  than  any  who 
had  previously  crossed  the  mountains.  Large  wagons 
drawn  by  fine  horse  and  mule  teams  were  the  rule.  There 
was  no  plodding  by  the  way.  Each  outfit  was  hurried  for- 
ward, and  there  seemed  to  be  a  grand  struggle  as  to  who 
should  get  to  the  gold  fields  first.  Between  May  and  Octo- 
ber, some  say  30,000,  others  100,000,  of  these  gold  seekers 
passed  through  Wyoming.  These  were  the  "forty-niners," 
and  they  composed  the  grand  army  that  rushed  to  Califor- 


340  History  of  Wyoming. 

nia  in  that  eventful  year.  Nearly  fifty  years  have  passed, 
and  still  we  are  listening  to  song  and  story  of  the  "Days  of 
Forty-nine."  Some  of  these  gold  seekers,  after  the  excite- 
ment was  over,  returned  and  prospected  in  Colorado,  Utah, 
Wyoming  and  Montana.  In  the  history  of  Fort  Laramie,  I 
have  already  told  of  the  transfer  of  the  trading  post  to  the 
United  States  government  and  of  its  occupation  by  troops. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MORMON     EMIGRATION. 

Brigham  Young's  Pioneer  Train — An  Incident  on  the  Eastern  Bor- 
der OP  Wyoming — Arrival  at  Fort  Laramie — Crossing  the 
Platte  Above  Caspar  With  Boats  and  Rafts — The  Train  Cross- 
es South  Pass — Reaches  the  Big  Sandy  and  Green  River — Jim 
Bridger  Meets  Brigham  Young — The  Stop  at  Fort  Bridger — 
Train  Passes  Out  of  Wyoming — Arrival  in  Salt  Lake  Valley — 
.  Incidents  Connected  With  the  Mormon  Settlement — Character 
OF  Brigham  Young. 

The  passage  of  the  Mormon  emigrants  through  Wyo- 
ming in  1847  was  nearer  related  to  the  settlement  of  the 
country  than  was  the  emigration  to  Oregon  or  to  California, 
from  the  fact  that  quite  a  number  of  these  people  settled 
within  what  are  now  the  confines  of  our  state.  The  Mor- 
mons were  a  religious  sect,  but  held  some  peculiar  ideas  in 
regard  to  morals  as  well  as  religion.  That  is,  they  believed 
that  the  church  and  the  state  should  be  one;  that  the  laws 
of  God  should  be  the  laws  of  the  land.  They  claimed  that 
their  prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  had  received  a  revelation  from 
God,  telling  him  where  he  would  find  the  golden  plates  of  a 
book,  which  he  afterwards  found  buried  in  a  hillside  of  the 
state  of  New  York.  From  these  plates,  it  was  claimed,  a 
book  was  printed  which  was  called  the  Mormon  Bible.  The 
■church  as  organized  by  the  prophet  Smith  was  governed  by 


Mormon  Emigration.  34  r 

twelve  elders.  They  claimed  spiritual  gifts  such  as  were 
enjoyed  by  the  apostles  of  Christ,  and  advocated  and  prac- 
ticed polygamy.  This  latter  resulted  in  a  storm  of  objec- 
tions when  it  was  put  in  practice.  The  teachings  of  these 
people  made  them  unpopular  in  the  eastern  states  and  they 
finally  located  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  from  which  place  they 
fled  before  their  enemies  into  Missouri,  where  the  people 
made  them  even  less  welcome.  During  the  winter  of  1846-T 
they  made  what  they  called  winter  quarters  in  Nebraska. 
This  place  was  a  few  miles  northwest  of  Council  Bluffs.  To 
this  spot  all  the  Mormons  wended  their  way,  preparatory  to- 
locating  in  the  far  west.  At  the  winter  camp  were  about 
700  houses,  rudely  constructed,  and  in  these  about  4,000 
had  gathered  in  readiness  to  make  the  journey  across  the 
plains  and  mountains  in  the  spring.  It  has  been  claimed  by 
some  writers  that  these  people  started  west  without  previ- 
ously exploring  the  country,  but  this  is  not  correct,  as  Oli- 
ver P.  Gleason  of  New  York,  George  Chatelaine  of  St.  Louis, 
Miles  Bragg  of  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  J.  P.  Johnson  of 
Nauvoo,  Illinois,  Solomon  Silver  of  the  same  place,  and 
William  Hall  of  Piatt  County,  Missouri,  appeared  at  Fort 
Laramie  in  the  spring  of  1846  on  their  way  to  find  a  location 
for  the  Mormon  colony.  Gleason  had  a  brother  named  John, 
who  was  a  Mormon  elder  and  a  preacher.  These  men  all 
went  to  Salt  Lake  and  spent  a  month  there  examining  the 
country.  Gleason  made  a  map  of  Salt  Lake  and  the  valley. 
In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  party  returned  to  Fort  Laramie. 
O.  P.  Wiggins,  now  of  Denver,  and  the  famous  Jim  Beck- 
wourth,  acted  as  guides  for  the  party.  The  first  division 
of  the  Mormon  train  left  the  Missouri  on  Monday,  April  5, 
1847,  in  charge  of  Heber  C.  Kimball.  On  the  day  follow- 
ing, Brigham  Young,  who  was  then  at  the  head  of  the 
church,  called  a  conference  of  the  elders  and  people  and 
explained  that  the  objective  point  was  Salt  Lake.  At  the 
conference,  most  of  the  prominent  leaders  of  the  church 
were  present. 

On  the  7th,  the  second  division  moved  to  the  west,  and 
then  the  other  divisions  quickly  followed,  making  a  train  of 


342  History  of  Wyoming. 

seventy-two  wagons,  with  149  men,  women  and  children. 
It  was  certainly  the  best  organized  outfit  that  had  ever  at- 
tempted the  western  journey.  In  the  party  were  wagon- 
makers,  carpenters,  bricklayers,  blacksmiths,  and  in  short 
mechanics  of  all  kinds,  including  farmers,  engineers,  mer- 
chants and  schoolmasters.  At  the  head  of  the  expedition 
was  Brigham  Young.  He  led  the  way  on  to  the  mountains 
and  reached  the  eastern  border  of  Wyoming  on  May  28, 
when  an  event  occurred  which  clearly  stamped  Young  as  a 
born  leader.  They  had  been  a  long  time  on  the  road,  consid- 
ering the  distance  they  had  traveled,  and  the  men  had 
grown  careless  and  many  indifferent.  The  novelty  had 
worn  off  and  a  spirit  of  fault-finding  and  criticism  had 
grown  up  which  promised  to  result  in  the  demoralization  of 
the  company.  The  morning  of  May  29th  was  cold  and  it 
was  decided  that  the  train  should  not  move  until  the  weath- 
er grew  better.  At  10:30  the  leader  caused  a  bugle  to  be 
sounded  for  the  teams  to  be  harnessed.  After  all  was  in 
readiness  for  starting,  the  company  was  called  together  in  a 
circle  around  Mr.  Young  and  the  clerk  was  ordered  to  call 
the  roll.  Two  of  the  brethren  were  out  hunting  and  two 
more  were  sick  in  their  wagons;  all  the  others  were  in  the 
circle  and  answered  to  their  names.  By  this  time  everyone 
realized  that  something  was  going  to  happen.  Seriousness 
and  expectancy  was  on  every  countenance.  They  had  not 
long  to  wait.  Standing  on  a  wagon,  Mr.  Young  told  his 
people  that  he  had  noticed  the  spirit  which  prevailed  in  the 
company  and  that  he  had  been  watching  its  influence  and 
effect  and  that  unless  there  was  a  change  for  the  better  he 
was  ready  to  revolt.  He  was  not  willing  to  bow  down  to 
insubordination  and  the  ill-feelings  which  existed  among 
them  toward  each  other.  He  then  described  the  evil  ten- 
dency of  quarrels  in  camp,  playing  cards,  using  profane 
language  and  dancing  for  recreation.  There  were  some  in 
the  camp,  he  said,  who  did  not  belong  to  the  church,  and 
these  he  would  protect  in  all  their  rights,  but  they  should 
not  trample  on  his  rights.  He  told  them  that  they  should 
reverence  God  and  the  priesthood  and  not  seek  to  introduce 


Mormon  Emigration.  343 

iniquity  into  the  camp.  He  said  that  if  any  man  would 
rather  go  back  than  abide  by  the  law,  he  had  the  privilege 
of  doing  so  at  once.  He  then  turned  to  his  brethren  and 
said : 

*'I  am  one  of  the  last  to  ask  my  brethren  to  enter  into 
solemn  covenants,  but  if  they  will  not  enter  into  a  covenant 
to  put  away  their  iniquity  and  turn  to  the  Lord  and  serve 
him,  acknowledge  and  honor  his  name,  then  they  shall  take 
their  wagons  and  retreat,  for  I  will  go  no  further  under 
such  conditions.  I  want  the  brethren  to  be  ready  for  meet- 
ing tomorrow  at  the  time  appointed,  instead  of  rambling  off 
and  hiding  in  their  wagons  to  play  cards.  I  think  it  will 
be  good  for  us  to  have  a  fast  meeting  and  a  prayer  meeting 
also,  humble  ourselves  and  turn  to  the  Lord,  and  he  will 
forgive  us." 

After  this  speech  he  called  upon  the  apostles,  bishops, 
high  priests  and  other  officers  of  the  church  to  stand  before 
him,  when  each  was  asked  separately  if  he  were  willing  to 
covenant  and  turn  to  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  to  repent 
of  his  follies,  to  cease  from  his  evil  ways  and  serve  God 
according  to  his  laws.  Without  a  dissenting  voice,  every 
man,  with  uplifted  hand,  entered  into  the  covenant.  Wil- 
furd  Woodruff,  the  present  head  of  the  church,  Heber  G. 
Kimball  and  Orson  Pratt  each  spoke  a  few  words,  asking 
that  their  leader's  advice  be  carefully  followed.  Others 
acknowledged  their  errors  and  pledged  strict  obedience  for 
the  future.  This  was  the  first  crisis  in  the  life  of  Brigham 
Young  and  it  had  been  met  in  a  manner  that  proved  his 
worthiness  to  become  a  great  leader.  This  event  spoken  of 
occurred  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Fort  Laramie  and  it  had 
a  marked  efifect  on  every  person  composing  the  train.  On 
June  1st  the  pioneers  reached  Fort  Laramie,  where  they 
were  kindly  received  by  James  Bordeau  of  the  American 
Fur  Company.  At  that  point  Brigham  Young  found  wait- 
ing for  him  a  small  company  from  Pueblo,  Colorado,  under 
the  leadership  of  Robert  Crow.  Quite  a  number  of  Mor- 
mons had  wintered  at  Pueblo  and  all  of  them  were  expect- 
ing to  go  to  Salt  Lake.  Mr.  Crow's  party  came  on  in  ad- 
vance with  the  understanding  that  the  balance  were  to  fol- 


344  History  of  Wyoming. 

low  when  they  received  word  from  him  that  the  main  cara- 
van under  Brigham  Young  had  reached  Fort  Laramie. 

At  this  fort  the  Mormons  met  a  party  of  traders  who 
had  come  from  Fort  Bridger,  and  from  these  they  learned 
that  the  snow  was  two  feet  deep  along  the  road  up  the 
Sweetwater  and  that  they  had  been  obliged  to  abandon 
their  wagons  and  complete  their  journey  to  Fort  Laramie 
on  horseback.  This  was  not  a  pleasant  outlook  for  the 
Mormons,  and  so  they  remained  over  until  the  4th,  when 
they  again  pushed  on  up  the  Platte  and  on  June  12th 
reached  the  crossing  two  miles  above  where  now  stands 
the  city  of  Caspar.  The  river  was  full  to  its  banks  and  there 
was  great  diflficulty  in  crossing  the  stream  with  the  wagons 
and  teams.  Boats  and  rafts  were  constructed,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  19th  that  the  party  was  ready  to  push  onward. 
Brigham  Young  ordered  ten  men  of  the  party  to  remain 
to  ferry  over  trains  that  were  to  follow  from  Pueblo,  and 
others  from  the  Missouri  River.  Thomas  Grover  had  charge 
of  the  party  and  his  instructions  were  to  allow  all  Oregon 
emigrants  to  use  the  ferry  who  would  pay  for  the  privilege, 
and  it  was  his  opinion  that  they  would  do  business  enough 
to  cover  the  price  of  their  subsistence.  The  20th  was  Sun- 
day, and  in  spite  of  the  sacred  day  and  the  strict  observance 
of  it  on  all  other  occasions,  the  train  went  forward  to  escape 
bad  water,  mosquitoes  and  other  discomforts.  On  the  21st 
Independence  Rock  was  reached  and  that  night  camp  was 
made  at  the  Devil's  Gate.  Two  days  after  leaving  this 
place,  they  found  on  the  side  of  the  road  a  lonely  grave,  over 
which  was  an  inscription  which  read:  "Matilda  Crowley j 
born  July  16, 1830;  died  July  7,  1846."  The  train  passed  on 
up  the  Sweetwater  and  on  the  26th  crossed  the  South  Pass. 
This  was  the  sixty-first  day  after  leaving  their  winter  en- 
campment on  the  Missouri  River.  Here  they  met  a  return 
party  from  Oregon  with  Moses  Harris,  the  trapper,  as  guide. 
Of  this  man  Harris  the  Mormons  asked  many  question* 
and  drew  from  him  a  considerable  amount  of  useful  in- 
formation regarding  the  road  over  which  they  had  to  pass, 
and  of  Salt  Lake  Valley,  where  they  expected  to  settle.    On 


MORMON   PIONEERS. 
I.  W.  Woodruff.  2.  John  Taylor.  3-  Mayor  Daniel  H.  Wells. 

4.  W.  H.  Hooper.        5.  President  Brigham  Young. 
7.  John  Sharp.  8.  George  Q.  Cannon. 


6.  Orson  Pratt. 

9.  Orson  Hyde. 


Mormon  Emigration.  345 

the  28th  they  met  Jim  Bridger  and  two  companions,  who 
were  on  their  way  from  Fort  Bridger  to  Fort  Laramie. 
Bridger  was  told  that  it  was  Brigham  Young's  intention 
to  call  on  him  at  his  fort  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  know- 
ledge of  the  road.  He  informed  them  that  if  they  would  go 
into  camp  he  would  tell  them  all  he  knew  of  the  road  to  Salt 
Lake  and  of  the  country  which  surrounded  it.  Brigham 
Young  thought  it  was  important  to  get  information  from  a 
man  who  had  the  reputation  at  that  time  of  being  the  best 
informed  guide  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  he  therefore 
ordered  a  halt  and  they  went  into  camp  on  the  spot.  This 
was  the  first  meeting  between  Jim  Bridger  and  Brigham 
Young,  but  it  was  by  no  means  their  last.  The  information 
imparted  to  the  Mormon  leader  by  this  noted  character 
was  not  encouraging;  he  did  not  think  much  of  the  region 
around  Salt  Lake  and  had  nothing  good  to  say  about  it. 
The  next  day,  June  29th,  the  train  reached  Big  Sandy  and 
encamped.  Here  a  number  of  the  emigrants  were  taken 
sick  with  a  violent  fever,  and  some  were  delirious.  It  was 
supposed  the  sickness  was  caused  by  saleratus,  picked  up 
on  the  alkali  lands,  as  this  article  had  been  freely  used  by 
the  company  in  cooking.  The  sickness  was  not  of  long 
duration.  On  the  30th  they  reached  Green  River,  to  cross 
which  they  were  obliged  to  construct  a  ferry.  At  this  camp 
they  were  met  by  Elder  Brennan  of  California,  and  his  ob- 
ject in  meeting  them  was  to  induce  Brigham  Young  to  lo- 
cate his  party  at  Yerba  Buena,  later  known  as  San  Fran- 
cisco. Neither  Young  nor  his  elders  were  inclined  to  change 
their  purpose  of  making  their  homes  in  Salt  Lake  Valley. 
Green  River  proved  to  be  difficult  to  cross,  and  it  was  noon 
of  July  3  before  the  last  wagon  was  landed  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river.  Three  miles  beyond,  the  train  went  into 
camp,  where  it  remained  until  Monday,  July  4.  At  this 
point  five  men  were  sent  back  as  guides  to  other  Mormon 
trains  soon  to  leave  the  Missouri  River.  Their  next  camp 
was  very  near  what  is  now  known  as  Granger,  the  eastern 
terminus  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line.  On  July  7th  the  train 
reached  Fort  Bridger,  which  is  described  by  these  pioneer 


346  History  of  Wyoming. 

Mormons  as  two  adjoining  log  houses  with  sod  roofs,  sur- 
rounded by  a  log  fence  eight  feet  high.  The  Mormons  say 
that  the  fort  was  inhabited  at  that  time  by  about  fifty 
whites,  Indians  and  half-breeds  and  was  owned  by  Bridger 
and  Vasquez.  The  Mormon  train  remained  over  one  day  at 
Bridger  to  give  the  blacksmiths  and  wagon-repairers  time 
to  shoe  horses  and  repair  wagons.  On  Monday,  July  12th, 
they  passed  out  of  what  is  now  Wyoming  and  entered  Utah, 
but  there  was  great  discouragement  prevalent.  These  pio- 
neers realized  that  they  were  in  a  country  destined  to  bring 
them  many  hardships.  Brigham  Young  never  faltered,  nor 
did  his  courage  fail  once  on  the  trip.  He  had  a  theory  that 
in  the  Salt  Lake  Valley  abundance  could  be  produced  for 
the  use  of  his  colony,  by  the  aid  of  irrigation,  and  nothing 
would  satisfy  him  except  to  make  the  trial. 

The  first  section  of  the  Mormon  train,  under  Orson 
Pratt,  reached  Salt  Lake  on  July  21st,  and  on  the  following 
day  the  main  body  arrived,  but  Brigham  Young  was  behind 
in  the  mountains  and  did  not  come  up  until  the  24th.  He 
had  been  sick  and  was  obliged  to  lay  over.  On  the  arrival  of 
these  people  in  Salt  Lake  Valley,  they  were  not  favorably 
impressed  with  the  location.  Brigham  Young  spoke  en- 
couragingly of  the  promised  land.  He  understood  the  appli- 
cation of  water  to  the  soil  and  assured  his  followers  that 
if  crops  were  planted  they  would  grow.  The  colonists  had 
brought  agricultural  implements,  seeds  and  cattle  with 
them.  Plows  were  brought  out,  and  notwithstanding  the 
lateness  of  the  season,  crops  were  put  in  the  ground. 
Homes  were  built  and  the  settlement  commenced.  That 
same  week  the  ground  was  selected  for  the  great  Mormon 
temple.  Trains  continued  to  arrive  all  that  summer  and 
fall,  and  by  the  time  winter  set  in  there  was  a  population 
of  2,095.  On  August  16th,  Brigham  Young  started  on  his 
return  journey  to  the  Missouri,  and  the  following  year 
there  were  large  additions  made  to  the  colony,  and  by  Sep- 
tember the  population  numbered  between  4,000  and  5,000. 
During  the  summer  of  1848  a  considerable  amount  of  land 
was  ploughed  and  potatoes  and  other  crops  planted.    Every 


Mormon  Emigration.  347 

effort  was  made  to  produce  enough  to  feed  the  people  during 
the  following  winter.  Just  at  the  time  when  the  crops  were 
the  most  promising,  millions  of  crickets  appeared  and  com- 
menced to  devour  everything,  and  settlers  saw  starvation 
staring  them  in  the  face.  Fortunately,  gulls  from  the  lake 
came  and  devoured  the  crickets,  which  was  regarded  as  an 
act  of  Providence  for  the  protection  of  the  chosen  people 
who  had  come  to  occupy  the  promised  land. 

The  years  following  brought  large  additions  to  the 
Mormon  colony  in  Utah,  and  a  number  of  counties  were  or- 
ganized. The  tireless  head  of  the  church  kept  agents  not 
only  in  the  east  but  in  Europe,  asking  people  to  join  the 
Mormon  settlement  and  the  church.  Some  of  these  people 
located  around  Fort  Bridger,  others  along  the  North  Platte, 
and  at  one  time  it  was  thought  that  the  southwestern  por- 
tion of  this  state  would  become  Mormon  territory.  Had 
not  Brigham  Young  refused  to  acknowledge  federal  au- 
thority and  forced  the  government  to  send  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston  with  five  regiments  out  to  subdue  the  Mormons,  a 
portion  of  our  state  would  undoubtedly  have  remained  a 
part  of  Utah.  This  trouble  with  the  Mormons  induced  the 
general  government  to  reduce  the  size  of  their  territory  and 
accordingly  Nevada  was  taken  ofif  the  west,  a  considerable 
strip  lying  west  of  the  mountains  was  put  into  Colorado, 
and  a  smaller  portion  makes  up  the  southwest  corner  of 
Wyoming. 

The  Mormon  settlers  exercised  great  influence  over 
this  portion  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  was  Brigham 
Young  who  introduced,  in  a  practical  way,  irrigation  into 
the  United  States.  He  taught  his  followers  how  to  become 
self-supporting  and  consequently  how  to  overcome  the  tri- 
als incident  to  making  homes  in  the  arid  region.  He  under- 
stood the  art  of  attracting  people  to  the  country  which  he 
had  selected  for  his  operations.  Aside  from  his  peculiar 
views  in  regard  to  polygamy,  no  fault  was  found  by  broad- 
minded  people  with  his  church,  or  the  men  who  flocked  to 
his  standard.  History  will  give  him  the  first  place  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  founding  and  building  up  of  a  great  com- 


348  History  of  Wyoming. 

monwealth.  Brigham  Young  and  William  Gilpin  are  the 
two  great  characters  who  early  located  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain country.  Gilpin  was  an  explorer,  a  soldier,  a  pioneer, 
a  statesman  and  a  founder  of  empire.  He  was  broad-mind- 
ed, possessed  clear  sight — seeing  far  into  the  future — was  a 
loyal  American  citizen,  and  has  left  a  name  untarnished. 
He  died  loved  and  honored  by  all.  Young  was  a  man  of 
another  sort — leading  men  to  do  things  through  religious 
zeal,  compelling  obedience  because  of  his  commanding  na- 
ture, reaching  success  through  well  chosen  methods  and 
building  up  his  people  and  church  by  making  the  corner- 
stone of  success,  industry.  Love  of  country  was  not  in  his 
nature. 


History  of  Fort  Bridger.  349 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

HISTORY     OF     FORT     BRIDGER. 

First  a  Trappers'  and  Traders'  Rendezvous — Bridger  Builds  a 
Blockhouse — The  Bridger  and  Vasquez  Partnership — The  Mor- 
mons Settle  Around  the  Fort  in  1853 — Rebuilt  in  1855 — Occu- 
pied BY  Government  Troops,  Winter  of  1857-8— Troops  on  Short 
Rations— Captain  Marcy's  Winter  Journey — Fort  Rebuilt  by 
the  Government — Practically  Abandoned  in  1861 — Judge  Car- 
ter Organizes  a  Company  of  Mountaineers  to  Garrison  the 
Fort — California  and  Nevada  Volunteers  Occupy  the  Post 
FROM  1862  TO  1866 — Arrival  of  United  States  Troops  to  Replace 
Volunteers — Troops  Protect  Overland  Stages  and  Engineers  of 
Union  Pacific  Railway — Abandoned  in  1890. 

Fort  Bridger  is  one